Word Meanings - PLATONISM - Book Publishers vocabulary database

1. The doctrines or philosophy by Plato or of his followers. Note: Plato believed God to be an infinitely wise, just, and powerful Spirit; and also that he formed the visible universe out of preëxistent amorphous matter, according to

Additional info about word: PLATONISM

1. The doctrines or philosophy by Plato or of his followers. Note: Plato believed God to be an infinitely wise, just, and powerful Spirit; and also that he formed the visible universe out of preëxistent amorphous matter, according to perfect patterns of ideas eternally existent in his own mind. Philosophy he considered as being a knowledge of the true nature of things, as discoverable in those eternal ideas after which all things were fashioned. In other words, it is the knowledge of what is eternal, exists necessarily, and is unchangeable; not of the temporary, the dependent, and changeable; and of course it is not obtained through the senses; neither is it the product of the understanding, which concerns itself only with the variable and transitory; nor is it the result of experience and observation; but it is the product of our reason, which, as partaking of the divine nature, has innate ideas resembling the eternal ideas of God. By contemplating these innate ideas, reasoning about them, and comparing them with their copies in the visible universe, reason can attain that true knowledge of things which is called philosophy. Plato's professed followers, the Academics, and the New Platonists, differed considerably from him, yet are called Platonists. Murdock. 2. An elevated rational and ethical conception of the laws and forces of the universe; sometimes, imaginative or fantastic philosophical notions.

Related words: (words related to PLATONISM)

• FORMALITY
  The dress prescribed for any body of men, academical, municipal, or sacerdotal. The doctors attending her in their formalities as far as Shotover. Fuller. 6. That which is formal; the formal part. It unties the inward knot of marriage, . . . while
• SPIRITUOUS
  1. Having the quality of spirit; tenuous in substance, and having active powers or properties; ethereal; immaterial; spiritual; pure. 2. Containing, or of the nature of, alcoholic spirit; consisting of refined spirit; alcoholic; ardent;
• FORMICARY
  The nest or dwelling of a swarm of ants; an ant-hill.
• FORMULIZE
  To reduce to a formula; to formulate. Emerson.
• POWERFUL
  Large; capacious; -- said of veins of ore. Syn. -- Mighty; strong; potent; forcible; efficacious; energetic; intense. -- Pow"er*ful*ly, adv. -- Pow"er*ful*ness, n. (more info) 1. Full of power; capable of producing great effects of any
• SPIRITUALIZE
  To extract spirit from; also, to convert into, or impregnate with, spirit. (more info) 1. To refine intellectiually or morally; to purify from the corrupting influence of the world; to give a spiritual character or tendency to; as, to spiritualize
• FORMERLY
  In time past, either in time immediately preceding or at any indefinite distance; of old; heretofore.
• PLATONICALLY
  In a Platonic manner.
• SPIRITUOSITY
  The quality or state of being spirituous; spirituousness.
• FORMICAROID
  Like or pertaining to the family Formicaridæ or ant thrushes.
• FORMIDABLY
  In a formidable manner.
• ACCORDANCY
  Accordance. Paley.
• ACCORDANTLY
  In accordance or agreement; agreeably; conformably; -- followed by with or to.
• SPIRITUAL-MINDED
  Having the mind set on spiritual things, or filled with holy desires and affections. -- Spir"it*u*al-mind`ed*ness, n.
• FORMICATE
  Resembling, or pertaining to, an ant or ants.
• ACCORDER
  One who accords, assents, or concedes.
• PLATONIC; PLATONICAL
  1. Of or pertaining to Plato, or his philosophy, school, or opinions. 2. Pure, passionless; nonsexual; philosophical. Platonic bodies, the five regular geometrical solids; namely, the tetrahedron, hexahedron or cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and
• FORME
  See PATTé
• SPIRITISM
  Spiritualsm.
• ACCORDINGLY
  1. Agreeably; correspondingly; suitably; in a manner conformable. Behold, and so proceed accordingly. Shak. 2. In natural sequence; consequently; so. Syn. -- Consequently; therefore; wherefore; hence; so. -- Accordingly, Consequently, indicate
• FALCIFORM
  Having the shape of a scithe or sickle; resembling a reaping hook; as, the falciform ligatment of the liver.
• INFORMITY
  Want of regular form; shapelessness.
• OMNIFORMITY
  The condition or quality of having every form. Dr. H. More.
• PUBLIC-SPIRITED
  1. Having, or exercising, a disposition to advance the interest of the community or public; as, public-spirited men. 2. Dictated by a regard to public good; as, a public-spirited project or measure. Addison. -- Pub"lic-spir`it*ed*ly,
• DEFORMER
  One who deforms.
• DIVERSIFORM
  Of a different form; of varied forms.
• PREFORM
  To form beforehand, or for special ends. "Their natures and preformed faculties. " Shak.
• VARIFORM
  Having different shapes or forms.
• RESINIFORM
  Having the form of resin.
• VILLIFORM
  Having the form or appearance of villi; like close-set fibers, either hard or soft; as, the teeth of perch are villiform.
• BIFORM
  Having two forms, bodies, or shapes. Croxall.
• REFORMALIZE
  To affect reformation; to pretend to correctness.
• FULL-FORMED
  Full in form or shape; rounded out with flesh. The full-formed maids of Afric. Thomson.
• SCORIFORM
  In the form of scoria.
• MALCONFORMATION
  Imperfect, disproportionate, or abnormal formation; ill form; disproportion of parts.
• PENNIFORM
  Having the form of a feather or plume.
• REFORMATIVE
  Forming again; having the quality of renewing form; reformatory. Good.
• INDIVISIBLE
  Not capable of exact division, as one quantity by another; incommensurable. (more info) 1. Not divisible; incapable of being divided, separated, or broken; not separable into parts. "One indivisible point of time." Dryden.