intellectualism

noun

in·tel·lec·tu·al·ism | \ ˌin-tə-ˈlek-chə-wə-ˌli-zəm ,

-chə-ˌli- , -shwə-ˌli- , -chü(-ə)-ˌli- \

Definition of intellectualism

: devotion to the exercise of intellect or to intellectual pursuits

Other Words from intellectualism Example Sentences Learn More about intellectualism

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Other words from intellectualism

intellectualist \ˌin-tə-ˈlek-chə-wə-list,

-chə-list, -shwə-list, -chü(-ə)-list \ noun or adjective

intellectualistic \ˌin-tə-ˌlek-chə-wə-ˈli-stik,

-chə-ˈli-, -shwə-ˈli-, -chü(-ə)-ˈli- \ adjective

Examples of intellectualism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His education in various Central American seminaries had been wide, but intellectualism seemed, to him, a foreign thing. — The Economist, "Obituary: Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo, the first cardinal from Central America," 23 June 2018 Miller writes that Jamison’s intellectualism and interest in story-telling form a barrier to the truth—to understanding how that very interest resembles, and indeed drives, her substance abuse. — Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, "The Big, Bad Truth of Michelle Tea," 16 May 2018 His image is one of ironic self-awareness and near-compulsive intellectualism. — Michael Friedrich, The New Republic, "Men and Apparitions Dissects A Male Feminist’s Crisis," 9 Apr. 2018 This is all embedded in a larger discussion about conspiracy theorists and the dangers of anti-intellectualism. — Alex Wong, GQ, "What a Filmmaker Learned from Taking Flat Earthers Seriously," 4 June 2018 The Suicide of the West is a book that can only be taken seriously by people from whom ideas matter less than the idea of ideas mattering; that is, for whom intellectualism is an exercise in branding and PR. — Park Macdougald, Daily Intelligencer, "The Idea-Free Book That Has the Right Excited About Ideas," 1 June 2018 In 1953, Ray Bradbury created a mirror for our worst fears about mass media, conformity, and anti-intellectualism. — Adi Robertson, The Verge, "HBO’s Fahrenheit 451 turns a warning about media into a tirade against tech trends," 19 May 2018 Fujimori mocked and attacked Vargas Llosa relentlessly, drawing attention to his agnosticism, his international connections, his earnest intellectualism and his racy novels. — Marcela Valdes, New York Times, "The Elder Statesman of Latin American Literature — and a Writer of Our Moment," 20 Feb. 2018 In the current climate of anti-intellectualism, Presidents’ Day provides a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the deep connections between higher education and democracy and the efforts of U.S. presidents in support of our colleges and universities. — Jonathan Green, Washington Post, "The higher education legacy of our presidents — and how to carry that forward," 19 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'intellectualism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.