Voltairean

English

Voltairean (comparative more Voltairean, superlative most Voltairean)

(philosophy) Of or pertaining to François-Marie Arouet (1694-1778; pen name "Voltaire"), French writer, essayist, and philosopher known for his wit and defence of civil liberties.
- 1988, Edmund White, The Beautiful Room is Empty, New York: Vintage International, 1994, Chapter One,
  […] the skinny boy at the next table smirked with a thin Voltairian sneer.

of or pertaining to François-Marie Arouet, pen name Voltaire

Voltairean (plural Voltaireans)

(philosophy) A person who subscribes to the philosophy of Voltaire.
- 1855, Richard Francis Burton, A Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah and Meccah, London: Tylston & Edwards, 1893, Volume I, Chapter II, p. 21,
  Then hearing that I was a Darwaysh and doctor—he must be an Osmanli Voltairean, that little Turk—the official snorted a contemptuous snort.
- 1922, G. K. Chesterton, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Chapter 3,
  “ […] But as for saints and relics and things, I fear I'm a bit of a Voltairian; what you would call a skeptic.”

person who subscribes to the philosophy of Voltaire

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.