William of Ockham
English Franciscan friar and theologian (c.1287–1347)
William of Ockham or Occam ( OK-əm; Latin: Guillelmus de Ockham; c. 1287 – 9/10 April 1347) was an English Franciscan friar, scholastic philosopher and theologian. He is considered to be one of the major figures of medieval thought and was at the centre of the major intellectual and political controversies of the 14th century. The nominalists of the fifteenth century regarded him as one of the founders of their movement. He is widely known for Occam's razor, the methodological principle that bears his name. He produced significant works on logic, physics and theology. Ockham is remembered in the Church of England with a commemoration corresponding to the commonly ascribed date of his death on 10 April.
Life
William of Ockham was probably born in Ockham, Surrey, around 1287. At an early age he became a member of the Franciscan Order (Order of Friars Minor) and received the first stages of his theological education in the Franciscan school in London. From some undetermined date until probably 1321 he studied in the Franciscan school in the University of Oxford. Although he completed all the requirements for a master's degree in theology, he never was a regent master.
The public source identifies “William of Ockham” as english Franciscan friar and theologian (c.1287–1347). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around William, Ockham and English.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “William of Ockham”, the useful work is to connect “english Franciscan friar and theologian (c.1287–1347)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q43936. VIAF identifies the subject as 41835567. The Library of Congress control number is n79081704. 3 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1287, 1347 and 1321.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “William of Ockham”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow William of Ockham primary sources, William of Ockham archive and William research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “William of Ockham”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “William of Ockham” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.