1
as in cerebral
much given to learning and thinking
as the daughter of college professors, she's used to being around intellectual people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in internal
of or relating to the mind
intellectual pursuits such as reading and studying
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3
as in educational
of or relating to schooling or learning especially at an advanced level
research that shows that people from very intellectual backgrounds are happiest with spouses having comparable educations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in nerd
a person with strong intellectual interests
discovered that in politics a reputation for being an intellectual was regarded as a liability
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intellectual
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2025
These behaviors model intellectual humility and normalize vulnerability, which builds trust and gives younger employees permission to do the same.
—Ruth Oh Reitmeier, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Some have accused him of masquerading as an intellectual without the requisite knowledge or aptitude.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Adjective
Mostly the products of Budapest’s investment in a conservative intellectual infrastructure, part of the unofficial delegation consisted of six students from the Matthias Corvinus Institute.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2025
These behaviors model intellectual humility and normalize vulnerability, which builds trust and gives younger employees permission to do the same.
—Ruth Oh Reitmeier, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
From the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival to the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival and everything in between, Black intellectuals are coming together to share notes and swap contacts to forge new relationships and invest in each other.
—Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Some have accused him of masquerading as an intellectual without the requisite knowledge or aptitude.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intellectual
Adjective
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Bouton was finally given the green light after a round of tests and X-rays in February confirmed the improved condition of her spine and an MRI revealed less cerebral fluid near her spine.—
Dave Melton,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, Voisin gives a cerebral performance of a man who occupies and contributes to a thrillingly tactile space while his antennae are attuned to another realm entirely.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, cautioned that the talks were in the early stages and that no proposal has been finalized.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
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The country is also the site of the Western Hemisphere’s longest-running internal armed conflict, and constitutionally requires all men between the ages of 18 and 24 to undertake some form of military service.—
Rebecca Johns,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Schools’ failure to follow IEPs has resulted in disastrous cases of educational neglect for students like Makenley and Maddox O’Connor.—
IndyStar,
IndyStar,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The charge could also include community service, probation or educational programs.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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By comparison, his romantic rival Archie (Devon Bostick) is a weirdo, but a more believable one, and Bostick’s banter with Ferreira has a specific kind of romantic chemistry common to hyperintelligent, socially awkward nerds.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
4 Sep. 2025
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My brother was a poet, classics scholar, and charismatic leader of nerds who blossomed into a handsome surfer and then nosedived into schizophrenia and a life of unfiltered Camel cigarettes, caffeine, and antipsychotics.—
Kim Gordon,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Whether or not that bullishness pays off against Argentina is more or less academic.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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China’s effort to prompt a strong reaction to climate change and a transition to greater reliance on alternative forms of energy isn’t confined to academic research.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Adapted from Bernard-Marie Koltès’s play ‘Black Battles with Dogs’, Denis’ riveting drama gives primacy to her actors – their dialogues expressing inner desires and articulating the broader societal inequities that prevail between those who reside on either side of the fence.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
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The new plan ended busing for suburban students, while maintaining the practice of busing inner-city Black students into predominantly White county schools.—
Krista Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Deadline asks the Festival chief whether Series Mania is focused on the highbrow of the drama spectrum.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2025
-
Wagner would be a sleepless highbrow’s favorite; the long, lush, unbroken lines of music share with the white-noise hum of the air-conditioner or the thrum of the painstaking lecture the quality of being absorbing without offering undue eventfulness.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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As astronomy embraced mathematics and observation during the Scientific Revolution, astrology increasingly lost its scholarly legitimacy and was pushed to the margins.—
Christopher P. Scheitle,
The Conversation,
5 Sep. 2025
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Joshi says teachers also tend to be a vocal crowd that isn’t shy about sharing their scholarly opinions.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Intellectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intellectual. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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