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erudite

erudite

12 8.4
Having much knowledge from study
  • adjective
  • /ˈɛrʊˌdaɪt/
  • Formal
translation icon : erudito
  • Pretty fancy writing, but only suitable for the erudite, not for general consumption by the public.
  • an erudite essay
  • an erudite author
  • the most erudite

Oh, that's a very, very sophisticated, erudite question.

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Examples

  • Sam Rainsy, meanwhile, is an erudite former accountant who studied in France and appeals to the country's educated elite.

    Academic text (2007)
  • They're very erudite and articulate, and I've learned a lot from both speakers.

  • Thank you so much for your very erudite and appropriate introduction.

  • Actually, he does a quite an erudite study of the image of Saint George.

  • I found him quite sympathetic and an extremely erudite and very clever person.

  • Perhaps one of the most erudite critics was Bernard Brodie.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Outram's poems can present challenges to any but the most erudite reader.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Last week, I was with a group of fairly erudite people... who were discussing the novel "Moby Dick."

  • The scholar was erudite and accessible, incisive and playful at the same time.

    Academic text (2007)
  • The professor gave an erudite lecture on ancient philosophy that captivated the audience.

Synonyms

knowledgeable
vserudite
92 4.1

A person who has learned a lot about a subject

is deeper and more academic across many fields
scholarly
vserudite
  • Formal
47 5.6

Showing careful study and deep knowledge about a subject

is about deep, wide formal understanding rather than just academic style
well-informed
vserudite
33 3.5

A person who knows a lot about a subject or the world

is deeper and more academic rather than only topic-specific information
learned
vserudite
  • Formal
6.0

Very well educated and knowing a lot about a subject

is broader stressing great academic knowledge across disciplines

Antonyms

367 3.7

Not knowing about something or how it works

56 2.8

A person who has little or no schooling

How Learned

erudite
  • Formal
12 8.4
learned
  • Formal
6.0
knowledgeable
92 4.1
educated
36 3.2
informed
3.7

Surface Forms

erudite positive

Etymology

Erudite comes from the Latin erudire, from e- 'out of' and rudis 'rough' or 'untrained'. Think of learning as smoothing rough wood: someone erudite has been made smooth by study, so they are very learned.