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
  • These collective actions are crucial to safeguard scholarly inquiry and faculty independence against political interference.
    — Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • The people who’ll thrive aren’t necessarily the most experienced or scholarly.
    — Eric Francia, Fortune, 7 July 2026
Definition of scholarly
Adjective
  • Both public school districts continue to outperform the state of Florida average testing marks for most academic subject and skill tests.
    — Austin Horn July 3, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • Using basic academic terminology would place grants at risk of rejection or termination on political grounds.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
Definition of academic
Adjective
  • The Union’s move is a small reversal of a decades-long trend away from scholastic sports as a soccer development tool.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 19 June 2026
  • Her work — rooted in teaching, scholastic research and mentoring — is continually focused on advancing social, racial and economic equity in secondary education classrooms.
    — Larry D. Urish, Oc Register, 3 June 2026
Definition of scholastic
Adjective
  • The sheer fact of filming fills a frame, even one composed with quasi-documentary plainness, with a plethora of details of narrative, expressive, aesthetic, intellectual, and historical import.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
  • These unforeseen consequences end up transforming intellectual life.
    — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of intellectual
Adjective
  • The best tended to use puns, literalization — turning an idiom into reality — and pedantic humor to delight and torment children in equal measures.
    — Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 21 June 2026
  • In the context of a smartphone, this distinction can feel a little pedantic.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 June 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 11 Jul. 2026.

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