inkhorn

adjective

Definition of inkhornnext
as in scholarly
marked by or given to showing knowledge in a showy way The writer apparently thought using a bunch of inkhorn terms would impress the reader and distract from the severely lacking plot.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inkhorn
  1. scholarly
  2. academic
  3. scholastic
  4. intellectual
  5. pedantic
Adjective
  • The law does not apply to scholarly activities, student activities and groups or creative engagements, according to the 5th Circuit.
    — Sophie Bates, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The law does not apply to scholarly activities, student activities and groups or creative engagements, according to the Fifth Circuit.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of scholarly
Adjective
  • The Brookings paper makes the same argument in academic terms.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Nancy’s British father, Gerald Cadogan, is an academic and archaeologist, and much of her childhood was spent on excavation sites in Cyprus and Crete.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of academic
Adjective
  • Jackson voted in June 2023 to accept a committee recommendation against passing LD 930, legislation seeking to restrict participation in women’s and girls’ scholastic sports.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The coming-of-age drama, based on Coffey’s life, follows a high school student with mild cerebral palsy trying to wrestle for the school’s scholastic wrestling team.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of scholastic
Adjective
  • But Hamilton craved a broader intellectual tradition for his faith.
    — Emma Green, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026
  • At the same time, their societies are also strengthened by their intellectual prowess.
    — Mattanjah de Vries, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of intellectual
Adjective
  • Despite the rhetoric and anger, Satanic Planet don’t come off as preachy or pedantic.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Advertisement Given all the change that artificial intelligence is predicted to bring, quibbling over word choice might seem pedantic, like arguing about the Latin name of a tree’s species while the forest burns.
    — David Litt, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of pedantic
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.

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inked
inkhorn
inking
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Cite this Entry

“Inkhorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inkhorn. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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