Liddell-Scott-Jones

σοφιστής (sophistēs) a wise man ^G:N-M

σοφιστής-τής, οῦ, ὁ,

master of one's craft, adept, expert, of diviners, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of poets, μελέταν σοφιστήςταῖς πρόσβαλον [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of musicians, σοφιστήςτὴς.. παραπαίων χέλυν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σοφιστήςτῇ Θρῃκί (i.e. Thamyris) [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with modal words added, οἱ σ. τῶν ἱερῶν μελῶν [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; of the Creator of the universe (ὁ δημιουργός), πάνυ θαυμαστὸν λέγεις σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of cooks, εἰς τοὺς σ. τὸν μάγειρον ἐγγράφω [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; οἱ τὴν ἱππείαν σ. skilled in.. , [Refs 2nd c.AD+] deviser, contriver of pains, [Refs 5th c.BC+] —then,

__2 wise, prudent or statesmanlike man, in which sense the seven Sages are called σοφιστήςταί, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of Pythagoras, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of natural philosophers, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of Isocrates and Plato, [Refs 1st c.BC+]; of the Βραχμᾶνες, [σοφιστήςταί">Refs 2nd c.AD+]; frequently with a slightly iron. sense, ἵνα μάθῃ σ. ὢν Διὸς νωθέστερος [σοφιστήςτοῦ παντὸς εὑρέτις 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Fragmenta” 101, compare 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Hippolytus” 921: proverbial, μισῶ σοφιστήςτὴν ὅτις οὐχ αὑτῷ σοφός [prev. author] “fragment” 905 ">Refs 5th c.BC+]: of the philosophic sage, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
__II from late 5th c.BC, a Sophist, i.e. one who gave lessons in grammar, rhetoric, politics, mathematics, for money, such as Prodicus, Gorgias, Protagoras, τὴν σοφίαν τοὺς ἀργυρίου τῷ βουλομένῳ πωλοῦντας σοφιστήςτὰς ἀποκαλοῦσιν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but sometimes even of Socrates (though he did not teach for money), [Refs 4th c.BC+]; so of Christ, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__II.2 sophist (in bad sense), quibbler, cheat, [σοφιστήςτὴν ὀνομάζων 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 18.276. ">Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.3 later of the ῥήτορες, Professors of Rhetoric, and prose writers of the Empire, such as Philostratus and Libanius, [σοφιστήςτῇ “PLips.” 97 X 18 (4th c.AD)">Refs 4th c.AD+]; frequently as a title in epitaphs, [Refs]