scholarship

noun

schol·​ar·​ship ˈskä-lər-ˌship How to pronounce scholarship (audio)
1
: a grant-in-aid to a student (as by a college or foundation)
2
: the character, qualities, activity, or attainments of a scholar : learning
3
: a fund of knowledge and learning
drawing on the scholarship of the ancients
Choose the Right Synonym for scholarship

knowledge, learning, erudition, scholarship mean what is or can be known by an individual or by humankind.

knowledge applies to facts or ideas acquired by study, investigation, observation, or experience.

rich in the knowledge of human nature

learning applies to knowledge acquired especially through formal, often advanced, schooling.

a book that demonstrates vast learning

erudition strongly implies the acquiring of profound, recondite, or bookish learning.

an erudition unusual even in a scholar

scholarship implies the possession of learning characteristic of the advanced scholar in a specialized field of study or investigation.

a work of first-rate literary scholarship

Examples of scholarship in a Sentence

She got a scholarship to Yale University. The organization is offering five $5,000 scholarships. The essay is a work of serious scholarship. The book is about his life and scholarship.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meanwhile, others are calling for mechanisms to help pursue college scholarships and study abroad, rather than going back online to study. Kareem El Damanhoury, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025 At the end of each fiscal year, the unclaimed prize reserve fund balance -- minus the $1 million that is retained in the reserve -- is transferred to college scholarships. Arkansas Online, 14 Nov. 2025 The following reading list presents some of the main debates in public space scholarship. JSTOR Daily, 14 Nov. 2025 The foundation the two started is a nonprofit created to support the Tampa Bay community, offering programs, scholarships, and philanthropic opportunities. Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for scholarship

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1536, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scholarship was circa 1536

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Cite this Entry

“Scholarship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scholarship. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

scholarship

noun
schol·​ar·​ship ˈskäl-ər-ˌship How to pronounce scholarship (audio)
1
: money given (as by a college) to a student to help pay for further education
2
: the character, qualities, or achievements of a scholar

More from Merriam-Webster on scholarship

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