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savant

savant

26 8.9
A person with very great knowledge or skill in one subject
  • noun
  • /səˈvænt/
translation icon : erudito
  • As a musical savant, she could play complex pieces by ear after hearing them just once.
  • idiot savant
  • savant syndrome
  • great savant

It's certainly beneath a savant like Ben Affleck.

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Examples

  • The renowned scientist was regarded as a savant in the field of astrophysics.

  • Coach K and Bill Self, and a few others, are savants about preventative help defense.

    Blog text (24)
  • If they choose not to do those things, unless they are a savant, they will likely fail.

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  • I am sort of an idiot savant when it comes to writing novels and stories.

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  • And who else but a savant would cut to the heart of the matter so unequivocally?

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  • Dave and Jeff over there are savants of development and design.

  • But researchers are most interested in those who wake up with savant-type abilities.

    Blog text (16)
  • I'm a savant.

  • That's why I'm glad I'm sitting here with the savant of afterlife, man.

  • A little bit later, he'll also talk about the learned, the savants, the people who have studied, the people who have mastered some sort of discipline and can tell you about it.

Synonyms

expert
vssavant
3.2

A person who knows a lot about a subject and can help others

stresses superior scholarly distinction in one field rather than general skill
scholar
vssavant
281 4.1

A person with deep knowledge who studies a subject carefully for many years

is noted for exceptional distinction within a particular scholarly field
genius
vssavant
252 4.9

A person with very strong intelligence or creative skill

focuses on learned distinction within a scholarly field rather than raw intellect
pundit
vssavant
  • Literature
131 6.7

A person who often gives opinions on TV or radio about a subject

is a privately recognized scholarly authority rather than a public commentator
brainiac
vssavant
  • Slang
31 8.2

A person who is very smart and good at solving hard problems

highlights formal scholarly distinction rather than general cleverness
rocket scientist
vssavant
  • Informal
9 4.3

A person who is very clever at solving difficult problems

is about deep, recognized scholarly achievement rather than cleverness or irony
magister
vssavant
  • Formal
1 9.9

A teacher or expert who works at a university

is mainly valued for distinguished scholarly mastery rather than a teaching role
learned person
vssavant
  • Formal
1 4.4

A person who knows a lot about a subject from study

suggests higher prominence and exceptional achievement within a scholarly specialty
mavin
vssavant
  • US
1 9.9

A person who knows a lot about a subject and advises others

leans more toward exceptional academic distinction than practical expertise
specializer
vssavant
  • US
7.6

A person who focuses on and is very skilled in one area of work or study

implies wider recognition and deeper scholarly distinction in that specialty
kenner
vssavant
9.8

A person who knows a lot about a subject and can judge its quality, like wine or art

places greater weight on scholarly prestige and learned achievement
Einstein
vssavant
  • Informal
5.6

A very smart person who is especially good in one subject

refers to formal distinguished scholarship rather than an iconic genius image

Antonyms

46 3.4

A person new to an activity who has little experience

ignoramus
  • Offensive
12 8.3

A person who does not know much

Compounds

savant syndrome
  • Specialized
1 8.9

A rare condition where a person with a mental disability has an unusual skill in music, math, or art

1 9.9

An outdated, offensive word for a person with a serious disability who has an amazing skill

How Knowledgeable

savant
26 8.9
expert
3.2
student
1.0
novice
46 3.4

Surface Forms

savant singular
savants plural

Etymology

Savant comes from the French word savant meaning 'knowing', which goes back to the Latin root sapere meaning 'to be wise'. So a savant is literally a very wise or highly learned person with deep knowledge in a particular field.