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anti-intellectual

anti-intellectual

8.6
A person who dislikes learning and thinking
  • noun
  • /ˌæn.ti.ɪnˈtɛl.ɪk.tʃu.əl/
translation icon : antiintelectual
  • Many anti-intellectual critics dismiss the value of formal education and prefer practical experience instead.

Examples

  • Wow, anti intellectuals who are bitter, jealous and corrosive over their envy for her half.

  • Wow, anti intellectuals who are bitter, jealous and corrosive over their envy for her half.

  • In discussions about art, some anti-intellectuals express their disdain for complexity and prefer straightforward themes.

  • The rise of anti-intellectual attitudes in some communities has led to a greater emphasis on entertainment over education.

Synonyms

philistine
vsanti-intellectual
  • Offensive
8 9.3

A person who has no interest in art or culture

is opposed to broad intellectual activities rather than only art or culture
lowbrow
vsanti-intellectual
1 8.1

A person who does not like books, art, or serious ideas

is more actively opposed rather than merely uninterested

Antonyms

94 6.0

A person who thinks deeply about ideas, art, or science

How Intellectual

scholar
281 4.1
intellectual
94 6.0
layperson
14 4.9
anti-intellectual
8.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

anti-intellectual = intellectual (transparent) = anti + intellect + ual

The meaning is a straightforward combination of the negating prefix 'anti-' with 'intellectual'.

Etymology

Anti-intellectual comes from the parts anti- 'against' and intellect 'thinking', the same root you see in intelligent. So an anti-intellectual is a person who is 'against' or not interested in thinking, experts, or formal study.