哲人|てつじんtetsujin[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounwise man; philosopher; sage

• Synonym賢人けんじんWrittenWritten/formal prose. A wise, virtuous person, often for sages of antiquity; stresses wisdom and virtue, while 「哲人」 stresses deep philosophical thought.
• Synonym賢哲けんてつWrittenWritten/formal prose, rare. A person of deep wisdom and sound judgment; in meaning it sits close to 「哲人」.
• Synonym哲学者てつがくしゃNeutralNeutral. A scholar who studies philosophy; it names a professional identity, while 「哲人」 stresses wisdom about life.
• Related賢者けんじゃNeutralNeutral. A general term for a wise person, in real life and in discussions of ideas; common in stories and games. Unlike 「哲人」, it does not stress philosophical thought.
• Related知者ちしゃWrittenWritten/formal prose, rare even there. Someone of outstanding wisdom who understands how things are; in Buddhism it can also mean an eminent, enlightened monk.
• Related聖哲せいてつWrittenWritten/formal prose, extremely rare. Denotes sages and philosophers — people outstanding in both intellect and virtue.
• Related大賢たいけんWrittenWritten/formal prose, rare. A great sage; you will often meet it in the saying 「大賢は愚なるがごとし」.
• Antonym愚人ぐじんWrittenWritten/formal prose, rare. A foolish person; the opposite of the wise 「哲人」.

For a scholar of philosophy as a profession, use 「哲学者」. For someone rich in life wisdom and deep philosophical insight, 「哲人」 is the word. To speak of a wise person in general, use 「賢者」 or 「賢人」; the rest are rare literary terms.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 哲学者てつがくしゃ。
2. 見識けんしき高たかい者もの。