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

In 2014, law scholar Eloise Pasachoff identified arguments scholars use to explain federal agencies’ reluctance to cut off funds. — Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 24 July 2026

The scholar sees Cuba’s future in natural gas, an energy source the Cuban government already exploits in partnership with the Canadian company Sherritt International. — Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026

Maryam’s oldest brother, Yaseen, is an accomplished scholar-athlete and represented the United States as a swimmer at the 2024 Summer Paralympics. — Pj Green july 24, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026

But as the American scholar Thomas Schelling noted, the power of a deterrent lies in the threat of its use. — Andrew Exum, The Atlantic, 23 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