1
as in cerebral
much given to learning and thinking
as the daughter of college professors, she's used to being around intellectual people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in internal
of or relating to the mind
intellectual pursuits such as reading and studying
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 intellectual
John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
Ave Maria University, a unique institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs that add a cultural and intellectual layer to the fabric of Ave Maria.
—Ave Maria Development, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
The always watchable Zem (Other People’s Children) is strong as an obsessive intellectual whose theories drive him to push others to the brink, while Valeria Golino (a requisite for any Italian festival film these days) shows up as the aggrieved mother of a victim.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Adjective
But the reality is that most advances, especially in biology, are built on a broad intellectual foundation of lower-profile work that may require years for someone to find a way to apply it to anything patentable.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
Ave Maria University, a unique institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs that add a cultural and intellectual layer to the fabric of Ave Maria.
—Ave Maria Development, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
The logic puzzles seemed tailor-made for someone like Morgan, a high-IQ intellectual who consults with the police and notices things others miss.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
The always watchable Zem (Other People’s Children) is strong as an obsessive intellectual whose theories drive him to push others to the brink, while Valeria Golino (a requisite for any Italian festival film these days) shows up as the aggrieved mother of a victim.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intellectual
Adjective
-
Gillen remains on Eagan’s coaching staff as an assistant coach, and Kraft said the seven-time state champion coach provides pointers that help her with the cerebral side of the game.—
Andrew Cornelius,
Twin Cities,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Other decisions were more cerebral.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
By 2017, that internal agency effort had evolved into Endeavor Content.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
-
But internal emails, police reports and interviews with current and former Division of Youth Services staff members show leadership grew increasingly worried as safety conditions deteriorated inside the Golden campus.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Claudia Joseph teaches permaculture in the Mid-Hudson valley while developing her homestead as an educational model.—
Catherine Habgood
September 29,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
-
At the same time, the company is investing $1 million, in partnership with the VF Foundation, to the National Park Foundation to help youth explore national parks and partake in outdoor educational experiences.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Sure, there will always be some people who care, just as today there are nerds like me willing to debate the merits of writing for the Z80 versus the 6502 8-bit CPUs.—
Stephen Cass,
IEEE Spectrum,
23 Sep. 2025
-
With the help of her best friend Tatum (Rose McGowan), boyfriend Billy (Skeet Ulrich), and cine-literate nerds Randy (Jamie Kennedy) and Stu (Matthew Lillard), Sidney sets out to determine who’s behind the mask.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The primary role of liaisons is to remove any barriers for students that would prevent them from accessing their education, said Valerie Gyroy, the academic advisor for families with housing insecurity with the Chandler Unified School District.—
Erick Trevino,
AZCentral.com,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Rooted in the land-grant tradition, the UA System expands access to academic, practical, and professional opportunities, fosters intellectual growth and student success, promotes discovery and public service, and strengthens Arkansas's economy, health, and culture.—
Ryan Anderson,
Arkansas Online,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Parts of the inner canyon that closed because of smoke from the fire, including Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground, will also reopen soon.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
-
His inner self is right there and raw at the surface, leaving him incapable of dissembling, which is why Lancaster Dodd likes him so much.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
Adjective
-
The idea of a faculty committee empowered to vet scholarly publications for racial bias has, ineluctably, a Star Chamber vibe.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Unlike Boggs and Wade, whose subjects had commanded biographical and scholarly attention for decades, Richardson was breaking trail from the beginning, writing a life that had never been written before.—
Megan Marshall
September 25,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Intellectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intellectual. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share