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stoic

Etymology and origin of the English word stoic

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Formation
Borrowing
Borrowed from
Latin Stoicus via Middle English

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈstəʊɪk/ (UK); /ˈstoʊɪk/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English Stoic,[2][3] borrowed from Latin Stōicus,[2][3][4][5] from Ancient Greek Στωϊκός (Stōïkós, “of the portico”),[2][3][4][5] from Stoà Poikílē “the Painted Porch”, the hall in Athens where the philosopher Zeno taught.[2][3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A member of the school of philosophy founded by Zeno about 300 BCE (1382).[6][4][5]

Semantic evolution

The Stoics taught that people should be free from passion and accept calmly whatever happens.[2][3][7] From 1579 the word was applied to anyone who represses emotion and bears pain or hardship patiently,[6][4][5] and the adjective followed in 1596.[6][4] Old English had a plural Stoices, and Middle English used Stoiciens.[5]

Timeline

  • 1382 – a Stoic philosopher.[6]
  • 1579 – a person who represses emotion and endures patiently.[6][4][5]
  • 1596 – adjective, unmoved by pleasure or pain.[6][4]
  • 1607 – adjective, of the Stoic school.[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A person who seems unaffected by joy, grief, pleasure or pain.
  2. (capitalized) A member of the Greek school of philosophy founded by Zeno.

Adjective

  1. Enduring pain or hardship without showing feeling; impassive.
  2. (capitalized) Relating to the Stoics or their doctrines.

Word family

  • stoically
  • stoicalness
  • stoical
  • stoicism
  • stoa

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Stoic.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/stoic. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·