Pansophic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /pænˈsɒf.ɪk/

Definitions

1. Involving an all-encompassing grasp of diverse knowledge and understanding across a wide array of fields
2. Pertaining to a holistic comprehension that integrates insights from multiple domains of thought and learning
3. Showing an extensive and broad understanding that covers many areas of knowledge

Etymology: "Pansophic" is built from two Greek elements: "pan" (all) and "sophia" (wisdom, knowledge), with the adjectival suffix "-ic." The noun "pansophia" was in use in the 17th century, most notably through the Czech educational reformer Jan Amos Comenius, who promoted a plan for a universal body of knowledge that could be taught to everyone. The idea was sweeping: he wanted to set out the whole of human learning in one coherent system, and "pansophia" was his name for that ambition. The adjective followed the noun into English in the 1600s and was used to describe this kind of encyclopedic or universal wisdom. Because Comenius's project was far more ambitious than anything a single scholar could complete, the term carries a faint suggestion of grand, perhaps overreaching, intellectual schemes.