(sof′ist) noun
1. A philosopher; a learned man; a thinker.
2. One who argues cleverly but fallaciously or unnecessarily minutely.
—adjective Pertaining to the art or method of sophists, or to sophistry. [<L sophista <Gk. sophistēs, ult. <sophos wise]

(sof′ist) noun
1. A member of a certain school of early Greek philosophy, preceding the Socratic school.
2. One of the later Greek teachers of philosophy and rhetoric, who acquired great skill in subtle disputation under logical forms.