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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
  • But all the biographical detail and the scholarly theorizing cannot complete the math.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Both are craftsmen, interested in immediate emotional response over esoteric scholarly unpacking.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of scholarly
Adjective
  • The program aimed to help in the academic, professional and personal development of Black and brown women, until it was eliminated in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion cuts two years ago.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Georgia Tech in 2001 broke ground on an ambitious — and unproven — plan to to transform eight blocks of derelict lots in Midtown into an academic and corporate hub.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of academic
Adjective
  • The award honors media professionals and groups making significant contributions to scholastic journalism.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Go literal with scholastic motifs, or keep it subtle with bright colors and minimalist designs.
    — Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of scholastic
Adjective
  • The play becomes an intellectual exercise — often a technically compelling one, and one that thankfully observes the comedy of Chekhov’s struggling souls as much as their tragedy.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The political climate that culminated in the 1940 Constitution was embraced by much of Cuba’s artistic and intellectual community as part of a broader quest for democracy and modernization.
    — Dennys Matos, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of intellectual
Adjective
  • Only instead of crusading against the evils of dancing teenagers, our most pedantic podcasters have joined forces to convince their audiences that Tony Romo should be doing the Texas two-step to the nearest unemployment office.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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 22 Sep. 2026.

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