scholarship

noun

schol·​ar·​ship ˈskä-lər-ˌship 

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

Synonyms of scholarship

• literacy
• knowledge
• education
• learning

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

The move means the UAE has removed British universities from a list of higher education institutions eligible for state scholarships amid growing tensions over London's decision not to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, The Financial Times reported. —Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026

With less access to scholarships and aid, some students may elect to choose a different path of study, potentially sinking enrollment below the quotas set by the law enacted last year. —Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 9 Jan. 2026

The departure of two-year starter Hayden Hansen leaves UF with only two experienced scholarship tight ends, senior Tony Livingston and redshirt sophomore Amir Jackson, who decided not to enter the portal. —Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2026

The festival kicks off weeks earlier with the crowning of Miss Circus City, an education scholarship program that's been running for over 60 years. —Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1536, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing scholarship

• football scholarship
• full scholarship

Rhymes for scholarship

• authorship
• battleship
• censorship
• chairmanship
• chieftainship
• comradeship
• consulship
• craftsmanship
• dealership
• draftsmanship
• fellowship
• fingertip

Kids Definition

scholarship

noun

schol·​ar·​ship ˈskäl-ər-ˌship 

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