scholar

noun

schol·​ar ˈskä-lər How to pronounce scholar (audio)
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

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
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.
Immigration authorities released visiting Georgetown University scholar Badar Khan Suri on Wednesday following a federal judge’s ruling. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 14 May 2025 Wednesday's court hearing was attended by dozens of people, including the scholar's family members, friends and colleagues at Georgetown and advocates. Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 14 May 2025 Before Wednesday’s hearing, U.S. attorneys argued that Khan Suri’s case should be moved from Virginia to Texas because the petition was filed after the scholar had already left the state. Olivia Diaz, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025 The writer and scholar Robert Macfarlane has spent much of his life climbing up mountains and fishing on rivers, and his passion for each extends to his writing. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for scholar

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of scholar was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scholar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scholar. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

scholar

noun
schol·​ar ˈskäl-ər How to pronounce scholar (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on scholar

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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