noun
- ancient Indian philosophers who practiced extreme asceticism and went naked or nearly naked
Usage: historical; plural form
Examples
- Alexander the Great encountered gymnosophists during his conquest of India.
- The gymnosophists were known for their rejection of material possessions.
- Ancient Greek writers described the gymnosophists as wise men who lived in forests.
- The gymnosophists practiced meditation and philosophical contemplation.
- Some gymnosophists were said to possess remarkable self-control over physical pain.
- Greek historians were fascinated by the gymnosophists’ austere lifestyle.