Meanings
sophrosyne1
- uncountableThe Ancient Greek concept of an ideal of excellence of character and soundness of mind, which when combined in one well-balanced individual leads to other qualities, such as temperance, moderation, prudence, and self-control.
With them the gods were confederated to break barbarian arrogance. Nation and individual citizen, then as now, must reverence sophrosyne.
1924, Herbert Weir Smyth, “III. The Persians”, in Aeschylean Tragedy, page 89
Sophrosyne2
- astronomy134 Sophrosyne, a main belt asteroid.
Origin
sophrosyne · noun
- Ancient Greekσωφροσύνη“soundness of mind, prudence, temperance”
- Englishsophrosyne
From Ancient Greek σωφροσύνη (sōphrosúnē, “soundness of mind, prudence, temperance”) from σώφρων (sṓphrōn, “sane, moderate, prudent”) (from σῶς (sôs, “safe, sound, whole”) + φρήν (phrḗn, “mind”)) + -σύνη (-súnē, abstract noun suffix).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Sophrosyne · proper noun
- Ancient Greekσωφροσῠ́νη“prudence”, “temperance”
- Ancient GreekΣωφροσῠ́νη
- EnglishSophrosyne
From the Ancient Greek Σωφροσῠ́νη (Sōphrosŭ́nē), from Ancient Greek σωφροσῠ́νη (sōphrosŭ́nē, “prudence”, “temperance”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
sophrosyne. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sophrosyne
“sophrosyne.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sophrosyne. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sophrosyne,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sophrosyne.
Source: sophrosyne on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.