The word "pre-Socratic" refers to the period of Greek philosophy that existed before the time of Socrates. Some synonyms for this word include "pre-Socratic philosophy," "early Greek philosophy," and "proto-philosophy." Other phrases that could be used to describe this period include "pre-classical Greek philosophy," "ancient Greek philosophy," and "earlier Greek thinking." It is important to note that while the term "pre-Socratic" distinguishes this period from the later philosophies of figures like Plato and Aristotle, it may be misleading to assume that all pre-Socratic thinkers held the same beliefs or approaches to philosophy.