demiurge

[ dem-ee-urj ]

noun
  1. Philosophy.

    • Platonism. the artificer of the world.

    • (in the Gnostic and certain other belief systems) a supernatural being imagined as creating or fashioning the world in subordination to the Supreme Being, and sometimes regarded as the originator of evil.

  2. (in many states of ancient Greece) a public official or magistrate.

Origin of demiurge

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Greek dēmiourgós “a worker for the people, public worker, skilled worker,” equivalent to dḗmio(s) “of the people, public” + -ergos “a worker,” derivative of érgon work

Other words from demiurge

  • dem·i·ur·geous [dem-ee-ur-juhs], /ˌdɛm iˈɜr dʒəs/, dem·i·ur·gic, dem·i·ur·gi·cal, adjective
  • dem·i·ur·gi·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for demiurge

demiurge

/ (ˈdɛmɪˌɜːdʒ, ˈdiː-) /


noun
    • (in the philosophy of Plato) the creator of the universe

    • (in Gnostic and some other philosophies) the creator of the universe, supernatural but subordinate to the Supreme Being

  1. (in ancient Greece) a magistrate with varying powers found in any of several states

Origin of demiurge

1
C17: from Church Latin dēmiūrgus, from Greek dēmiourgos skilled workman, literally: one who works for the people, from dēmos people + ergon work

Derived forms of demiurge

  • demiurgeous, demiurgic or demiurgical, adjective
  • demiurgically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012