as in knowledge
the understanding and information gained from being educated a scientist of impressive erudition but with a down-to-earth manner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun erudition differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of erudition are knowledge, learning, and scholarship. While all these words mean "what is or can be known by an individual or by humankind," erudition strongly implies the acquiring of profound, recondite, or bookish learning.

an erudition unusual even in a scholar

When might knowledge be a better fit than erudition?

While the synonyms knowledge and erudition are close in meaning, knowledge applies to facts or ideas acquired by study, investigation, observation, or experience.

rich in the knowledge of human nature

When can learning be used instead of erudition?

The meanings of learning and erudition largely overlap; however, learning applies to knowledge acquired especially through formal, often advanced, schooling.

a book that demonstrates vast learning

When could scholarship be used to replace erudition?

In some situations, the words scholarship and erudition are roughly equivalent. However, 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

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of erudition Horowitz’s erudition, combined with his energy, is a powerful sales tool. Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024 Esther Feit, Delray Beach Silencing knowledge The Trump administration’s war on literacy and erudition opens a sad chapter on the inverse and hostile relationship between knowledge and power. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2025 By then, the only two Italian women who had received a degree as recognition for their erudition were Piscopia at the University of Padua in 1678, and Laura Bassi at the University of Bologna in 1732. Manuela Callari, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025 Indeed, its tonal balance feels of a piece with the playwright’s personality—erudition and prudent attention to identity and representation leavened with irreverent nods to his throat chakra, The Artist’s Way, and teen soaps on The WB. Marley Marius, Vogue, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for erudition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erudition
Noun
  • In the telling of Kelly and lead writer Davide Serino, also credited as co-creator, Carême attracts the interest of then-First Consul Bonaparte (Frank Molinaro) when his knowledge of natural remedies helps the leader recover from a mid-coital seizure.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The flow of knowledge and expertise from academia into industry is what transforms abstract scientific insights into deployable technologies with strategic and economic value.
    Sarah Kreps, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • It’s lived out in real-time, through team wellness programs, financial literacy workshops, intentional family support, and shared moments of joy.
    Jason Phillips, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Eggers has written nearly 50 books, runs an international youth literacy organization and his many honors include a Newbery Medal, The American Book Award, the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Education and the TED Prize.
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The settlement calls for scholarship limits to be replaced by roster limits.
    Eric Olson, Baltimore Sun, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Policy experts and advocates have come up with proposals that include reserving 30 percent of scholarships for the Fulbright program, international fellowship, for those who are married or have children.
    Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Many nonprofits work in these spaces, providing legal support or doing advocacy and education work.
    Annie Nova, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Thaden's Lower School -- located directly south of Thaden's current campus -- will have a program blending outdoor education and the arts, according to a July 18 news release from Thaden.
    NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Hugo’s success comes from adaptability, innovation, and constant learning.
    Jason Phillips, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
  • That’s because different students have different learning needs, for a variety of reasons.
    K. Dara Hill, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Erudition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erudition. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

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