Meanings
comparative more sophron · superlative most sophron
- Of a sound and well-balanced mind; moderate, prudent, sensible, reasonable.
Even if, the argument notwithstanding, quiet deeds should somehow emerge as more beautiful and not fewer in number “in walking and speaking or anywhere else,” even given this, the quiet life would be no more sophron than the non-quiet.
2015, David Lawrence Levine, Profound Ignorance: Plato's Charmides and the Saving of Wisdom1 more example
As a young gentleman, Charmides was expected to be sophron, self- restrained in his moral behavior, and we learn in the prologue that he so well fulfills this expectation that he is regarded as the most moderate [sophronestatos, 157d6) of the young men of his generation.
1998, Walter T. Schmid, Plato's Charmides and the Socratic Ideal of Rationality, page 11
Origin
- Ancient Greekσώφρων“sane, moderate, prudent”
- Englishsophron
From Ancient Greek σώφρων (sṓphrōn, “sane, moderate, prudent”) (from σῶς (sôs, “safe, sound, whole”) + φρήν (phrḗn, “mind”)).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
sophron. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sophron
“sophron.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sophron. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sophron,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sophron.
Source: sophron on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.