variants
also academical
1
as in educational
of or relating to schooling or learning especially at an advanced level
"If you spent more time in academic pursuits and less time in social ones, you could easily make good grades," the dean told Valerie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intellectual
very learned or educated but inexperienced in practical matters
academic thinkers who have no understanding of realpolitik
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in theoretical
existing only as an assumption or speculation
your arguments are merely academic—such a worst-case scenario is unlikely to ever occur
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in academe
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of academic
Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 14 June 2026
The academic team from the University of Birmingham studied data from over 15,000 children, which was first collected for the Children of the 90s study, also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, according to The Independent.
—Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
Sara Talpos — Undark, STAT, 1 June 2026
The team combines expertise from engineering science, philosophy and experimental psychology, supported by the University of Oxford senior academics combining academic rigor with Polestar’s automotive expertise.
—New Atlas, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for academic
Adjective
The state has one of the highest concentrations of physicians, academic medical centers, federal health agencies, biotech firms and research institutions in the country.
—Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 14 June 2026
The academic team from the University of Birmingham studied data from over 15,000 children, which was first collected for the Children of the 90s study, also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, according to The Independent.
—Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
Noun
His obsessive quest would take him from gastroenterology clinics to international scientific conferences, define his career as an academic, and capture the attention of global pharmaceutical companies.
—Sara Talpos — Undark, STAT, 1 June 2026
The team combines expertise from engineering science, philosophy and experimental psychology, supported by the University of Oxford senior academics combining academic rigor with Polestar’s automotive expertise.
—New Atlas, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for academic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for academic
Adjective
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Amari also rounded up Juneteenth events across the Charlotte region for 2026, packed with festivals, parades, vendors and educational programming.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
15 June 2026
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The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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Today’s economy rewards intellectual horsepower.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
Chattel slavery stole people’s families, intellectual creations, land, access to resources, and, for some, spiritual foundations.—
Marcus Anthony Hunter,
Time,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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Before that, the idea of one day becoming king was something distant and theoretical, a concept discussed in books and family history rather than something with immediate relevance to his own life.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
20 June 2026
-
This stopped being theoretical just this month.—
Renana Ashkenazi,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
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Different goals lead to different strategies The differences between industry and academe begin with a divergence in purpose.—
Maysam Ghovanloo,
IEEE Spectrum,
28 May 2026
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Woke doesn't just characterize academe, academe is from where almost every trope of woke originally came.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In his new book, Ethnic Studies at the Crossroads, Black studies scholar George Lipsitz contextualizes the state of ethnic studies as existing at a similar juncture of collision and divergence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
-
Ryan Bourne is an economics scholar at the Cato Institute.—
Ryan Bourne,
Washington Post,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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According to Mercy Fash and Emani Campbell’s emerging scholarly research at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, this intersection is worthy of greater attention because of an exacerbated threat that could severely harm Black women.—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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The women had been close friends while studying for their doctorates some years earlier, but Catherine has since grown resentful of Leonora’s career, and dismissive of women whose scholarly ambitions come before marital subservience.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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When Mamdani meets The Athletic, however, even more cerebral matters are at play.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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This extends to the series as well, which, refreshingly, forgoes the usual guns and gore for a more wholesome, cerebral, and darkly comedic take on the genre.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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The aerospace company has figured out how to position itself firmly in the middle of the speculative hype of the AI cycle, and numerous financial organizations have amended rules designed to protect retail investors.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
20 June 2026
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CoreWeave, for instance, despite projecting significant revenue, carries a speculative-grade credit rating and substantial debt.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Academic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/academic. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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