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Definition of erudite
: having or showing knowledge that is gained by studying : possessing or displaying erudition an erudite scholar
eruditely
adverbFrom the M-W Editors
erudite was our Word of the Day on 05/24/2015. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of erudite in a Sentence
He wasn't bashful about showing himself to be feverishly erudite, … terminally droll, and a wizard phrasemaker. —Susan Sontag, New Yorker, 18 & 25 June 2001
… an engaging fellow: erudite, entertaining, intolerant of trendiness and fearlessly old-fashioned. … He can turn a nice phrase, too. —Mordecai Richler, Wall Street Journal, 2 May 1995
He was well read, especially in the works of Kipling, a field in which Violet could give him a game, and from time to time they would exchange erudite letters about Kipling characters. —Anthony Powell, The Strangers All are Gone, 1982
the most erudite people in medical research attended the conference
an erudite lecture on the latest discoveries in astronomy
Recent Examples of erudite from the Web
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There was always a sense of the erudite, a sense of humor, a real man inside the freakish body.
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OUL presents erudite and impassioned lectures (and the occasional panel discussion) by academics and activists on a range of issues vital to old lefties and, especially now, to all of us.
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Such insights give a glimpse into the lively, open-minded and erudite story that Lawrence tells.
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This framing of grief as an endurance sport underpins The Long Run, which is an elegant and erudite jumble of different things.
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Diana is erudite but unworldly, witty but never ironic, supremely self-confident and utterly mystified by the modern world.
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The Island looks like the encampment of an erudite Edwardian adventurer on a months-long safari, a room-sized canvas tent set around a heavy dining table.
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Descriptions that spring to mind: erudite, theatrical, state-of-the-art, and uncomplicatedly delicious.
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Barack Obama began his presidency with an erudite speech in Cairo declaring that America would be humbler from now on.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'erudite'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Erudite derives via Middle English "erudite" from Latin eruditus, the past participle of the verb erudire, meaning "to instruct." A closer look at that verb shows that it is formed by combining the prefix e-, meaning "missing" or "absent," with the adjective "rudis," which means "rude" or "ignorant" and is also the source of our word rude. We typically use the word rude to mean "discourteous" or "uncouth" but it can also mean "lacking refinement" or "uncivilized"; someone who is erudite, therefore, has been transformed from a roughened or uninformed state to a polished and knowledgeable one through a devotion to learning.
Origin and Etymology of erudite
Middle English erudit, from Latin eruditus, from past participle of erudire to instruct, from e- + rudis rude, ignorant
ERUDITE Defined for English Language Learners
erudite
playDefinition of erudite for English Language Learners
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: having or showing knowledge that is learned by studying
Learn More about erudite
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for erudite Spanish Central: Translation of erudite Nglish: Translation of erudite for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of erudite for Arabic speakers
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