serious-minded

adjective

se·​ri·​ous-mind·​ed ˌsir-ē-əs-ˈmīn-dəd How to pronounce serious-minded (audio)
: having a serious disposition or trend of thought
serious-mindedly adverb
serious-mindedness noun

Examples of serious-minded in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At this year’s BAFTAs, his serious-minded epic Oppenheimer won seven awards—with two for Nolan himself in the form of best director and best film. Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2024 At their best, the Hammer period horrors approached a serious-minded costume drama as invaded by a variety of murderous predators. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 16 Oct. 2023 December 25, 2023, 7 AM ET Saved Stories Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel, The Color Purple, was a serious-minded prestige drama. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 25 Dec. 2023 Instead, attempting to write a screenplay off of the serious-minded Red Alert by Peter George, Kubrick couldn’t help but find comedy in the ludicrousness of the situations described. Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2023 And man, James Hamilton’s pictures are tremendous, and a serious-minded look at an artistry that’s rarely afforded this kind of spotlight is a valuable thing. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Nov. 2023 While this may not be a calendar for the serious-minded, anyone who knows and loves Ralphie will appreciate it. Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Bsn, Parents, 3 Nov. 2023 This is a big, ballsy, serious-minded cinematic event of a type now virtually extinct from the studios. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 July 2023 Rafael Viñoly cut more or less the perfect figure of the New York City architect — serious-minded but amiable with an indulgent smile that could give way to a cool, impassive stare. Ian Volner, Curbed, 6 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'serious-minded.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of serious-minded was in 1845

Dictionary Entries Near serious-minded

Cite this Entry

“Serious-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serious-minded. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

serious-minded

adjective
se·​ri·​ous-mind·​ed
ˌsir-ē-ə-ˈsmīn-dəd
: having a serious disposition or trend of thought

More from Merriam-Webster on serious-minded

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!