cartesian

IPA/kɑːˈtiːziən/
KK[kɑrtˈiʒən]IPA/kɑːrˈtiːʒən/

cartesian — adjective

  • cartesianpositive
  • more cartesiancomparative
  • most cartesiansuperlative

1. Relating to the philosophical and mathematical ideas of René Descartes, a 17th-c

1.形容詞C2
釋義

Relating to the philosophical and mathematical ideas of René Descartes, a 17th-century French thinker. His work includes the famous statement 'I think, therefore I am' and the system of plotting positions using two or three axes at right angles, known as the Cartesian coordinate system.

例句

Anong struggled to understand the Cartesian concept of mind-body dualism during her first philosophy class.

collocation: Cartesian dualism / Cartesian coordinate

The students plotted points on a Cartesian coordinate system to solve the geometry problem.

usually before noun: Cartesian coordinate system

同義詞
  • Descartes'

    the possessive form of Descartes' name; less academic and more neutral in tone

  • rationalist

    broader philosophical category; not limited to Descartes' specific ideas

文法句型

Cartesian + noun (e.g., Cartesian dualism, Cartesian coordinate)

用法筆記

Always capitalised because it derives from a personal name. Found mainly in formal academic writing about philosophy, mathematics, and the history of science.

常見錯誤

❌She prefers a cartesian approach to logic.
✅She prefers a Cartesian approach to logic.
💡'Cartesian' must be capitalised because it comes from a person's name.
❌Cartesian is difficult to follow.
✅The Cartesian way of thinking is difficult to follow.
💡'Cartesian' is an adjective; use it before a noun.