Skip to main content
polymathic

polymathic

1 8.9
Knowing a lot about many subjects like art and science
  • adjective
  • /ˌpɒlɪˈmæθɪk/
: polimático
  • Here is Heraclitus' insistence that the proper object of knowledge is the structure or plan of the kosmos, and that this knowledge cannot be reduced to a polymathic collection of beliefs about the individual constituents of that kosmos.

I find him to be the most compelling, most talented and in his way, most polymathic describer of the way it used to be.

Examples

  • In Wilbur, I found what I had already found at East Lansing: a modest, almost shy person, whose interests were breathtakingly wide and deep, yes, polymathic.

    Academic text (2006)
  • To gain a competitive advantage in the lab and in the marketplace, it could be wise to bring in a more polymathic approach that includes exposure to and engagement in the arts.

    Blog text (34)
  • His range was more polymathic, and his interests more comprehensive.

    Academic text (1991)
  • I find him to be the most compelling, most talented and in his way, most polymathic describer of the way it used to be.

  • He is a polymathic scholar, excelling in science, philosophy, and the arts.

  • Her polymathic skills allow her to contribute to various fields like music and mathematics.

  • The polymathic nature of his knowledge impressed his colleagues in both technology and literature.

Synonyms

multidisciplinary
vspolymathic
5 5.9

Work that uses people and ideas from different areas like science or art

describes one person with knowledge across many separate fields
transdisciplinary
vspolymathic
  • Specialized
1 8.2

To use knowledge and methods from different fields and people to solve complex problems

focuses on a single person having wide learning across many fields, not team integration

How Knowledgeable

polymathic
1 8.9
erudite
  • Formal
12 8.4
knowledgeable
80 4.1
uninformed
39 3.7

Surface Forms

polymathic positive

Morphology

polymathic = polymath (transparent) = polymath + ic

The adjective is a regular derivation from the noun 'polymath' using the productive suffix '-ic' meaning 'relating to' or 'characteristic of'.

Etymology

The word polymathic comes from Greek parts poly- 'many' and mathē 'learning', the same idea you see in the simpler word polymath and in polyglot. So, a polymathic person has knowledge in many different subjects.