Meanings
gymnosophist1
plural gymnosophists
- One of a school of ancient Indian ascetic philosophers, reported in antiquity, who wore little clothing; a mystic.
I was speaking today with an unclothed Hindu religious, a parama-hamsa, on the steps of a Portuguese church, a true gymnosophist.
1973, Patrick O'Brian, HMS Surprise1 more example
As that gymnosophist in Plutarch made answer to Alexander (demanding which spake best), Every one of his fellows did speak better than the other: so may I say of these causes[…].
1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy, New York: New York Review Books, published 2001, →ISBN, page 250
Gymnosophist2
- Alternative letter-case form of gymnosophist.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Ancient Greekγυμνοσοφιστής
- Latingymnosophista
- Frenchgymnosophiste
- Englishgymnosophist
Borrowed from French gymnosophiste, from Latin gymnosophista, from Ancient Greek γυμνοσοφιστής (gumnosophistḗs), from γυμνός (gumnós, “naked”) + σοφιστής (sophistḗs, “sophist”).
More words from French, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
gymnosophist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gymnosophist
“gymnosophist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gymnosophist. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gymnosophist,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gymnosophist.
Source: gymnosophist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.