Definition of "analytic philosophy" [analytic philosophy]

• A cluster of philosophical traditions holding that argumentation and clarity are vital to productive philosophical inquiry. (noun)
• A philosophical school of the 20th century whose central methodology is the analysis of concepts or language. Leading practitioners have included Bertrand Russell, George Edward Moore, Rudolf Carnap, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. (noun)
• Philosophy as professionally practiced in the United States and Great Britain in the 20th century. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.