1
as in cerebral
much given to learning and thinking
as the daughter of college professors, she's used to being around intellectual people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mental
of or relating to the mind
intellectual pursuits such as reading and studying
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3
as in educational
of or relating to schooling or learning especially at an advanced level
research that shows that people from very intellectual backgrounds are happiest with spouses having comparable educations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in nerd
a person with strong intellectual interests
discovered that in politics a reputation for being an intellectual was regarded as a liability
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intellectual
Diane Brady, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
But there was one intellectual newspaper in Norway that really went after me and wanted to take me down.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 30 Dec. 2025
Weary of war and staring down the likelihood of an unjust peace, Ukrainian intellectuals are plotting out a road map for the future.
—Linda Kinstler, The New York Review of Books, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Adjective
Leading through a once-in-a-generation technological shift requires stamina—intellectual, emotional and creative.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
But there was one intellectual newspaper in Norway that really went after me and wanted to take me down.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
Think of it as a sleek and uncomfortable time capsule of the past half decade of #MeToo discourse, or as a character study of flawed intellectuals desperately attempting to perform their values while clinging to the facade of their respective identities.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 30 Dec. 2025
Weary of war and staring down the likelihood of an unjust peace, Ukrainian intellectuals are plotting out a road map for the future.
—Linda Kinstler, The New York Review of Books, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intellectual
Adjective
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By this point, Fripp was well-known for his cerebral nature.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
11 Jan. 2026
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Her work is known for its cerebral quality and an intimate connection to history, identity and art.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Reconcept uses music paired with specific frequencies tailored to different physical and mental needs.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Rusty recognized the severity of the situation and admitted her to a mental hospital.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Alliance is a nonprofit, private-public collaborative consisting of businesses, government, educational institutions and community organizations.—
Marianne Love,
Daily News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
When children reach school age, mothers spend three times longer than fathers organizing educational activities and nearly twice as much time transporting children to school and activities.—
Oona Metz,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Consider this a nice reminder, fans, nerds, set dressers, designers, and anyone inclined to write about or reflect on musicians in previous New Yorks.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
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Last season, Tory Burch’s backstage video of the nerd turned supermodel surprising her interviewer by spontaneously reciting the correct number of pi went viral.—
Derek C. Blasberg,
Vanity Fair,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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While Block is in the fourth grade, after his family moves from Indiana to Texas, his mother withdraws him from school, convinced that a traditional academic environment will stifle his budding writerly gifts.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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With the funds, the university will build new student housing, a new student union, research labs, academic centers and a new arena.—
Austin American Statesman,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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With fewer resources, thinner margins and limited internal expertise, small businesses are easier and cheaper to exploit, and far less able to absorb the fallout.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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It’s housed inside its own twist-bottom tube and contains an internal brush to give you an effortless, mess-free method of application.—
Michelle Baricevic,
InStyle,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Brown-Grier argued that this knowledge gap is not just a scholarly problem but a governance one.—
Marybeth Gasman,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
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Dunn wanted the property to be used as a scholarly and artistic retreat.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Deadline asks the Festival chief whether Series Mania is focused on the highbrow of the drama spectrum.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2025
-
Wagner would be a sleepless highbrow’s favorite; the long, lush, unbroken lines of music share with the white-noise hum of the air-conditioner or the thrum of the painstaking lecture the quality of being absorbing without offering undue eventfulness.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Intellectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intellectual. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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