Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • Greek philosopher noted for his many written dialogues in which his mentor Socrates appears as the central character. The best known of these, The Republic, expounds Plato's idealist philosophy and describes a hypothetical utopian state ruled by thinkers. He taught and wrote for much his life at the Academy, which he founded near Athens around 386.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun Greek philosopher, 427-347 BC, follower of Socrates.
  • proper noun A male given name.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun ancient Athenian philosopher; pupil of Socrates; teacher of Aristotle (428-347 BC)

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Via Latin, from Ancient Greek Πλάτων (Platōn), from πλατύς (platus, "broad, wide"), either because of Plato's robust body, or wide forehead or the breadth of his eloquence.

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