scholar

noun

schol·​ar ˈskä-lər 

1

: a person who attends a school or studies under a teacher : pupil

2

a

: a person who has done advanced study in a special field

b

: a learned person

3

: a holder of a scholarship

Synonyms of scholar

• teacher
• sage
• pundit
• savant
• wizard

Examples of scholar in a Sentence

She's a renowned scholar of African-American history.

scholars have long debated whether there is ever such a thing as a truly selfless act

Recent Examples on the Web

Legal scholars said the current dispute will likely turn on technical questions about evidence and disclosure rather than the broader political arguments surrounding the case. —Tony Plohetski, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026

The scholars argue that decisions involving life and human dignity must remain in human hands, warning that AI systems capable of selecting and executing targets fundamentally alter the moral nature of war. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026

Antoon is an Iraqi poet, novelist, translator, and scholar. —Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026

Likewise, scholars Zhou and Lee identify similar struggles among Asian Americans shouldering the weight of these social comparisons. —Stephen Chen, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English scoler, from Old English scolere & Anglo-French escoler, from Medieval Latin scholaris, from Late Latin, of a school, from Latin schola school

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing scholar

• Rhodes scholar

Rhymes for scholar

• caller
• collar
• crawler
• dollar
• faller
• haller
• hauler
• holler
• smaller
• squalor
• taller
• trawler

Kids Definition

scholar

noun

schol·​ar ˈskäl-ər 

1

: a person who attends a school or studies under a teacher : pupil

2

a

: a person who has done advanced study in a special area

b

: a learned person

3

: a holder of a scholarship

scholarly adjective