Meanings
cartesian1
- not comparablemathematicsAlternative letter-case form of Cartesian.
Following the approach adopted in [2, 3], two orthogonal cartesian reference systems are considered: […].
2009 January 28, Alfio Quarteroni, “Mathematical Models in Science and Engineering”, in Notices of the American Mathematical Society, volume 56, number 1, archived from the original on 25 Jan 2009, page 18
Cartesian2
- not comparableOf, or pertaining to, Descartes, his mathematical methods, or his philosophy, especially with regard to its emphasis on logical analysis and its mechanistic interpretation of physical nature.
How would a program implementation view be compatible with Cartesian dualism?
2019, Susan Schneider, Artificial You: AI and the Future of Your Mind, Princeton University Press, page 1401 more example
Others within the Cartesian tradition took the idea of a light-bearing medium in quite different directions. For instance, in 1690 Christiaan Huygens considered light to be a sequence of pulses traveling at a finite velocity within the medium.
2014, Peter Pesic, Music and the Making of Modern Science - not comparablecartographyOf, or pertaining to, co-ordinates based on mutually orthogonal axes.
Synonyms: Descartesean, Descartesian, Descartean, Descartian
plural Cartesians
- One who follows the philosophy of Cartesianism.
- rareThe Chartreux cat.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveOf, or pertaining to, co-ordinates based on mutually orthogonal axes.
Origin
- New LatinCartesiānus
- EnglishCartesian
From the New Latin Cartesiānus, from Cartesius (“René Descartes”).
More words from New Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan cartesià, cartesià
- cartesiàof or pertaining to Descartes
- cartesiàof or pertaining to coordinates based on orthogonal axes
Czech karteziánský, kartézský
- karteziánskýof or pertaining to Descartes
- kartézskýof or pertaining to coordinates based on orthogonal axes
Danish kartesisk, kartesisk
- kartesiskof or pertaining to Descartes
- kartesiskof or pertaining to coordinates based on orthogonal axes
Dutch cartesisch, cartesisch
- cartesischof or pertaining to Descartes
- cartesischof or pertaining to coordinates based on orthogonal axes
Finnish karteesinen, kartesiolainen
- karteesinenof or pertaining to Descartes
- kartesiolainenof or pertaining to Descartes
- karteesinenof or pertaining to coordinates based on orthogonal axes
- kartesiolainenfollower of Cartesianism
French cartésien
- cartésienof or pertaining to Descartes
German kartesisch, cartesisch
- kartesischof or pertaining to Descartes
- cartesischof or pertaining to Descartes
- cartesianischof or pertaining to Descartes
- kartesianischof or pertaining to Descartes
- Kartesianerfollower of Cartesianism
- Cartesianerfollower of Cartesianism
Greek καρτεσιανός, καρτεσιανός
- καρτεσιανός (kartesianós)of or pertaining to Descartes
- καρτεσιανός (kartesianós)of or pertaining to coordinates based on orthogonal axes
Hungarian descartes-i, Descartes-féle
- descartes-iof or pertaining to Descartes
- Descartes-féleof or pertaining to coordinates based on orthogonal axes
Italian cartesiano, cartesiano
- cartesianoof or pertaining to Descartes
- cartesianoof or pertaining to coordinates based on orthogonal axes
Japanese デカルト的
- デカルト的of or pertaining to Descartes
Latin Cartesiānus, Cartesiānus
- Cartesiānusof or pertaining to Descartes
- Cartesiānusfollower of Cartesianism
Norwegian Bokmål kartesisk
- kartesiskof or pertaining to coordinates based on orthogonal axes
Persian دکارتی, دکارتی
- دکارتی (dekârti)of or pertaining to Descartes
- دکارتی (dekârti)of or pertaining to coordinates based on orthogonal axes
Polish kartezjański, kartezjański
- kartezjańskiof or pertaining to Descartes
- kartezjańskiof or pertaining to coordinates based on orthogonal axes
- kartezjaninfollower of Cartesianism
Portuguese cartesiano, cartesiano
- cartesianoof or pertaining to Descartes
- cartesianoof or pertaining to coordinates based on orthogonal axes
Russian дека́ртов, дека́ртовский
- дека́ртов (dɛkártov)of or pertaining to Descartes
- дека́ртовский (dɛkártovskij)of or pertaining to Descartes
- картезиа́нский (kartɛziánskij)of or pertaining to Descartes
- картезианец (kartezianec)follower of Cartesianism
Spanish cartesiano, cartesiano
- cartesianoof or pertaining to Descartes
- cartesianoof or pertaining to coordinates based on orthogonal axes
Tagalog kartesyano, kartesyano
- kartesyanoof or pertaining to Descartes
- kartesyanofollower of Cartesianism
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with cartesian
Anagrams
Cite this entry
cartesian. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cartesian
“cartesian.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cartesian. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cartesian,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cartesian.
Source: cartesian on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.