A pen name of the French philosopher François-Marie Arouet.
Used in a Sentence
voltaire
Definitions, parts of speech, synonyms, and sentence examples for voltaire.
Editorial note
Maybe the spirit of Voltaire's work is captured in this proverb, but Voltaire never actually said or wrote this anywhere.
Examples19
Definitions3
Parts of speech1
Quick take
A pen name of the French philosopher François-Marie Arouet.
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of voltaire gathered in one view.
A surname from French.
A city in McHenry County, North Dakota, United States.
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for voltaire.
noun
A pen name of the French philosopher François-Marie Arouet.
noun
A surname from French.
noun
A city in McHenry County, North Dakota, United States.
Example sentences
Maybe the spirit of Voltaire's work is captured in this proverb, but Voltaire never actually said or wrote this anywhere.
In my experience people only give a fuck about voltaire when they don't happen to disapprove.
But Voltaire is the one who got the most fame (and possibly money) out of it.
Apparently it's a phrase from a biography of Voltaire by Evelyn Beatrice Hall.
I tend to side with Voltaire on free speech, apparently the French don't.
As Voltaire said: "You must ask, whether it is 'Just Interest' or 'National Interest'.
Voltaire: "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value - zero."
Though the actual scheme was hatched by Charles Marie de la Condamine, rather than Voltaire.
It was a quote from 'The Friends of Voltaire', and misrepresented him.
I believe the article is really all about Voltaire's maxim: I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.
I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to misattribute it to Voltaire.
But just to spread the 'correct' knowledge - the quote, while attributed to Voltaire, as it fits his style so succinctly well, is not actually said by him.
Quote examples
As Voltaire said: "You must ask, whether it is 'Just Interest' or 'National Interest'.
Voltaire: "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value - zero."
As for french culture specifically, a bit of Voltaire and Rousseau will be a good start, because what you look as "prextexts and hypocrisies" are probably the kind of subtle reasoning that would let your country be in not such a miserable state.
As Voltaire said, "It is not more surprising to be born twice than once." So, if the last moments of this life are a positive experience and the "next moment" is either nonexistent or a continuation that might be called an "afterlife", then I don't see much to worry about either way.
Proper noun examples
Though the actual scheme was hatched by Charles Marie de la Condamine, rather than Voltaire.
It was a quote from 'The Friends of Voltaire', and misrepresented him.
I believe the article is really all about Voltaire's maxim: I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use voltaire in a sentence?
Maybe the spirit of Voltaire's work is captured in this proverb, but Voltaire never actually said or wrote this anywhere.
What does voltaire mean?
A pen name of the French philosopher François-Marie Arouet.
What part of speech is voltaire?
voltaire is commonly used as noun.