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See Sufi.

Teaching wisdom. [Obs.] S. Harris.

Sophism. [Obs.] I trow ye study aboute some sophime. Chaucer.

The doctrine or mode of reasoning practiced by a sophist; hence, any fallacy designed to deceive. When a false argument puts on the appearance of a true one, then it is properly called a sophism, or "fallacy". I. Watts. Let us first rid ourselves of sophisms, those of depraved men, and those of heartless philosophers.…

he faith of the people, and drew upon themselves general hatred and contempt. Many of the Sophists doubdtless card not for truth or morality, and merely professed to teach how to make the worse appear the better reason; but there scems no reason to hold that they were a special class, teaching special opinions; even So…

A sophist. See Sophist. [Obs.] Hooker.

Of or pertaining to a sophist; embodying sophistry; fallaciously subtile; not sound. His argument . . . is altogether sophistical. Macaulay. -- So*phis"tic*al*ly, adv. -- So*phis"tic*al*ness, n.

To render worthless by admixture; to adulterate; to damage; to pervert; as, to sophisticate wine. Howell. To sophisticate the understanding. Southey. Yet Butler professes to stick to plain facts, not to sophisticate, not to refine. M. Arnold. They purchase but sophisticated ware. Dryden.

e; not genuine. So truth, while only one supplied the state, Grew scare and dear, and yet sophisticate. Dryden.

The act of sophisticating; adulteration; as, the sophistication of drugs. Boyle.

One who sophisticates.

The practice of a sophist; fallacious reasoning; reasoning sound in appearance only. The juggle of sophistry consists, for the most part, in usig a word in one sense in the premise, and in another sense in the conclusion. Coleridge.

A fortune teller.

One of an ancient sect of philosophers, who cultivated learned conversation at meals.

To clear from sophism or error. [R.] Hare.

One of a sect of philosophers, said to have been found in India by Alexander the Great, who went almost naked, denied themselves the use of flesh, renounced bodily pleasures, and employed themselves in the contemplation of nature.

All-wise; claiming universal knowledge; as, pansophical pretenders. [R.] John Worthington.

Of or pertaining to philosophy; versed in, or imbued with, the principles of philosophy; hence, characterizing a philosopher; rational; wise; temperate; calm; cool. -- Phil`o*soph"ic*al*ly, adv.

Spurious philosophy; the love or practice of sophistry. Carlyle.

A pretender in philosophy.