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 and court watchers were shocked by our finding. — Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 1 July 2026

These ancient scrolls are too fragile to unfurl, stymieing scholars’ attempts over the past few centuries to complete translations of the texts within. — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 30 June 2026

In recent years, thanks to the work of scholars, artists, and local activists, public awareness of the violence of 1898 has increased. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 3 July 2026

For a quarter century, Jane Calvert has been on a mission shared by few scholars of the Revolutionary War era. — Hillel Italie, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 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
• choler
• collar
• crawler
• dollar
• faller
• haller
• hauler
• holler
• smaller
• squalor
• taller

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