Plural of 'demiurgos'; in ancient Greek history, magistrates or officials with limited authority, or in philosophy, beings subordinate to the supreme creator.
From Greek 'demiourgos' (δημιουργός), combining 'demos' (people) + 'ergos' (work), literally 'public worker.' The term appears in Plato's philosophy and in Gnostic texts, imported directly from Greek into English theological and historical discussions.
Plato's Demiurge is like the universe's contractor hired by the perfect Form of the Good—it explains why our world is imperfect but not evil, which became central to how Gnostics explained why the world is so messed up.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.