demiurge
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demiurge¹
- /ˈdɛm.i.ɜːd͡ʒ/ UK
- /ˈdiː.mi.ɜːd͡ʒ/ UK
- /ˈdɛm.i.ɚd͡ʒ/ US
Where it comes from
From Ancient Greek δημιουργός (dēmiourgós, “one who works for the people; a skilled workman, a handicraftsman”) (whence Latin dēmiūrgus, French démiurge), from δήμιος (dḗmios, “belonging to the people, public”) (from δῆμος (dêmos, “the people”), from Proto-Indo-European *deh₂mos (“people”), from *deh₂- (“to divide”) + Ancient Greek -ιος (-ios), from Proto-Indo-European *-yós (suffix creating an adjective from a noun)) + Ancient Greek -ουργός (-ourgós, “worker”) (from ἔργον (érgon, “labour; task; work”), from Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom (“work”)).
No relation with English demi- (as in demigod).
noun demiurges · Demiurge · demiurgos · demiurgoi · demiurgus · demiurgi
- The (usually benevolent) being that created the universe out of primal matter. A demiurge or craftsman god takes pre-existing matter and fashions it in light of the eternal Forms.
- A (usually jealous or outright malevolent) being who is inferior to the supreme being, and sometimes seen as the creator of evil. The Gnostic Demiurge then assumes a surprising likeness to Ahriman, the evil counter-creator of Ormuzd in Mazdean philosophy. The character of the Gnostic Demiurge became still more complicated when in some systems he was identified with Jehovah, the God of the Jews or of the Old Testament, and was
- Something (such as an idea, individual or institution) conceived as an autonomous creative force or decisive power. An abiding tradition depicted the sage-kings of yore as demiurges who invented useful technologies to advance the progress of civilization. For example, Shun was acclaimed by the philosopher Mozi (circa late fifth century BCE) for teaching farming, pottery, and fishing to his subjects.
- The title of a magistrate in a number of states of Ancient Greece, and in the city states (poleis) of the Achaean League. The demiurgi were next in power to the prætor, and therefore ſtiled by Polybius and Livy, the ſupreme magiſtrates of the Achæans. They were ten in number, choſen by the general aſſembly from among the moſt eminent men of the whole league for prudence, equity, and experience. It was their office to a
Demiurge²
- /ˈdɛmɪɜːdʒ/ UK
- /ˈdɛmɪˌɝd͡ʒ/ US
Where it comes from
From Ancient Greek Δημιουργός (Dēmiourgós), see demiurge.
proper noun Demiurgos · Demiurgus
- The subordinate being that fashions the perceptible world in the light of eternal ideas.
- A prideful, inferior being that creates the material world; frequently identified with the creator God of the Hebrew Bible. For the rest, we meet in the Demiurge of the Valentinians all the traits of the world-god with which we have by now become familiar and can therefore deal here very briefly
Translations
Every language
noun being that created the universe
| Español | demiurgo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 데미우르고스 demiureugoseu |
| 日本語 | デミウルゴス demiurugosu |
| 中文 | 巨匠造物主 Jùjiàng Zàowùzhǔ, 德謬哥 /德谬哥 démiùgē, 黛米烏爾 /黛米乌尔 dàimǐwū'ěr |
| Português | demiurgo |
| Français | démiurge |
| Deutsch | Demiurg |
| Italiano | demiurgo |
| Română | demiurg |
| Русский | демиу́рг demiúrg |
| Tiếng Việt | đấng tạo hóa |
| עברית | בורא עולם |
name subordinate deity
| 한국어 | 데미우르고스 demiureugoseu |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 巨匠造物主 Jùjiàng Zàowùzhǔ, 迪米烏哥斯 /迪米乌哥斯 Dímǐwūgēsī |
| Ελληνικά | δημιουργός dimiourgós |
| Русский | Демиу́рг Demiúrg |
Talk about this word "demiurge." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/demiurge. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. demiurge. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/demiurge "demiurge." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/demiurge.Cite this
@misc{demiurge_2026,
title = {demiurge},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/demiurge},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
