Definition

Proper noun: * Denis Diderot: A French philosopher, art critic, and writer who was a central figure of the Enlightenment. He is best known as the principal editor and driving force behind the Encyclopédie, a monumental work that aimed to compile and disseminate the scientific, philosophical, and technical knowledge of the era.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The ideas of Diderot influenced modern secular and democratic thought.
  • Diderot collaborated with Jean le Rond d'Alembert on the Encyclopédie.
  • This essay discusses Diderot's contributions to materialist philosophy.

Advanced Usage

• "Diderotian" (adjective): Pertaining to or characteristic of Denis Diderot or his ideas.
  • The novel's structure has a Diderotian quality, blending narrative with philosophical discourse.

Variants and Related Words

• Encyclopédie (proper noun): The 28-volume encyclopedia edited by Diderot and d'Alembert, a defining project of the French Enlightenment.
• Encyclopedist (noun): A contributor to the ; more broadly, a person who compiles or writes for an encyclopedia. Diderot was the chief encyclopedist.

Synonyms

• Philosophe (noun): A French intellectual or philosopher of the Enlightenment period, such as Diderot, Voltaire, or Rousseau.
• Encyclopedist (noun): Specifically highlights his editorial role.

Related Phrases and Contexts

• The Age of Enlightenment: The intellectual and philosophical movement in 18th-century Europe of which Diderot was a leading figure.
• Materialism: A philosophical stance that matter is the fundamental substance of reality, a view Diderot explored in works like .

Noun

1. French philosopher who was a leading figure of the Enlightenment in France; principal editor of an encyclopedia that disseminated the scientific and philosophical knowledge of the time (1713-1784)