maieutic

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/meɪˈjuːtɪk/

adjective

Of or related to the Socratic method.

OriginAncient Greek μαιευτικός →
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Meanings

adjectivemaieutic (comparative more maieutic, superlative most maieutic)

comparative more maieutic · superlative most maieutic · alternative maieutical

  1. human sciencesOf or related to the Socratic method.
  2. uncommonObstetric: of or related to childbirth.
nounmaieutic (uncountable)

alternative maieutical

  1. uncountableMidwifery.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekμαιευτικός“obstetric”
  2. Englishmaieutic

From Ancient Greek μαιευτικός (maieutikós, “obstetric”). The rhetorical sense comes from a passage in Plato's Theaetetus where Socrates likens his procedure to that of a midwife.

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

maieutic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maieutic

MLA

“maieutic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maieutic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “maieutic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maieutic.

Source: maieutic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.