benjamin franklin
Proper noun: - Benjamin Franklin: An American polymath and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. He is renowned for his contributions to the American Enlightenment, his role in drafting key American documents, his scientific discoveries in electricity, and his diplomatic efforts during the American Revolution.
- Proper noun:
- Benjamin Franklin was instrumental in securing French aid during the American Revolutionary War.
- Many of Benjamin Franklin's writings, such as Poor Richard's Almanack, remain influential.
- The scientific experiments of Benjamin Franklin famously involved a kite and a key.
"The Benjamin Franklin effect": A psychological phenomenon where a person who has performed a favor for someone is more likely to do another favor for that person than if they had received a favor.
- The manager understood the Benjamin Franklin effect and asked for small initial commitments from her team.
"A Benjamin Franklin": In historical or rhetorical contexts, can be used to represent the archetype of a pragmatic inventor or self-made man.
- With his thrift and ingenuity, he was considered a modern-day Benjamin Franklin.
- Franklinian (adj): Pertaining to or characteristic of Benjamin Franklin or his ideas.
- The essay explored Franklinian virtues like industry and frugality.
- The First American: A sobriquet sometimes used for Franklin, emphasizing his early and multifaceted contributions to American identity.
- Founding Father: A general term for the men who played a major role in establishing the United States, of which Franklin is a prime example.
"Benjamin Franklin quote": Often used to introduce or reference one of his many famous aphorisms.
- As a Benjamin Franklin quote reminds us, "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
"Benjamin Franklin medal": Refers to various awards named in his honor, such as the Benjamin Franklin Medal presented by the American Philosophical Society or the Royal Society of Arts.
"Penny saved is a penny earned": A famous proverb popularized by Benjamin Franklin in Poor Richard's Almanack, advocating for thrift.
- He lived by the principle that a penny saved is a penny earned.
"Early to bed and early to rise": The beginning of another well-known Franklin aphorism promoting diligence and health.
- My grandfather, a firm believer in "early to bed and early to rise," was always up at dawn.
- printer whose success as an author led him to take up politics; he helped draw up the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; he played a major role in the American Revolution and negotiated French support for the colonists; as a scientist he is remembered particularly for his research in electricity (1706-1790)