a. and sb. [ad. L. Cȳrēnaic-us, a. Gr. Κῡρηναϊκός, f. Κῡρήνη Cyrene, a Greek colony in Africa. In mod.F. Cyrénaïque.]
A. adj. Belonging to the school of the Socratic philosopher Aristippus of Cyrene, whose doctrine was one of practical hedonism.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., II. (1851), 179. Not Epicurus, nor Aristippus with all his Cyrenaick rout.
1845. Maurice, Mor. & Met. Philos., in Encycl. Metrop., 585/1. The Cyrenaic doctrine … terminated in Epicurism.
B. sb. A Cyrenaic philosopher; a follower of Aristippus.
1586. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., I. (1589), 222. Aristippus & al the Cyrinaiks,… who falsly took unto themselves the name of Philosophers.
1753. L. M., trans. Du Boscq’s Accomplish’d Woman, I. 200, note. [Aristippus] by birth a Cyrenian; from whence his followers were call’d Cyrenaics.
1889. Athenæum, 2 Nov., 592/1. Even the Cyrenaics upheld a certain standard of personal dignity.
Hence Cyrenaicism, the doctrine of Aristippus. Cyrenean, Cyrenian a. = CYRENAIC.
1882. Contemp. Rev., Aug., 213–4. This reads like an avowal of Epicureanism or of the more selfish philosophy of pleasure known as Cyrenaicism.
1828. Edin. Rev., XLVIII. 221. A peculiar school of philosophy, known over the lettered world by the title of the Cyrenean.
1847. Craig, Cyrenian.
