# Plato's Cave

> English word · Proper noun

## Definitions
1. An allegorical cave whose unwitting, chained inhabitants perceive reality only in the form of shadow puppetry cast by the light of a man-made fire, lacking any awareness of the limitations of their perspective or its constructed nature.

## Etymology
Described by Plato in the Allegory of the Cave in the Republic.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/plato-s-cave