1
2
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

intellectual

2 of 3

noun (1)

intellectuality

3 of 3

noun (2)

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
Adjective
Some community members relied on digital tools and workforce development and career services, while others gravitated towards cultural and intellectual offerings. Laura Backstrom, Scientific American, 8 May 2025 Supporters praise his calm demeanor, intellectual rigor, and ability to navigate complex political terrain, often describing him as a stabilizing force in the Vatican. Hannah Parry amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
Noun
This isn't exactly the Cultural Revolution, where Mao Zedong—distrustful of intellectuals and scientists—forced the country's best minds into menial labor. Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025 During the dispute over Babri Masjid, Ashis Nandy, a prominent Indian intellectual, began a series of interviews with R.S.S. members. Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intellectual
Adjective
  • The humor was of the cerebral, physical, cynical and quite often gallows varieties, but always heartfelt.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 8 May 2025
  • This is a person who was an extremely cerebral human being.
    Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • California’s reparations effort has rolled out gradually and been rocked by numerous internal conflicts among Democrats.
    Laurel Rosenhall, New York Times, 18 May 2025
  • This exemption, new this season, will be awarded to one of the top three members of LIV Golf's internal rankings at the conclusion of the Dallas event in June.
    Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • This philosophical underpinning drives the company beyond mere resurrection spectacles — a critique often levied by academic skeptics following the company’s milestone de-extinction announcement.
    Nia Bowers, USA Today, 24 May 2025
  • Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.
    Anna Commander Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • Regardless, this round of the series is not resonating with my adult, parenting self or my inner sullen teen, i.e. the part of my being that guides many of my rash decisions and dictates my slouchy posture.
    Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
  • The neurotic inner monologue can take up only so much of the page.
    Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • There have been TikTok videos, Reddit threads and scholarly essays, all dedicated to how that one scene traumatized us all.
    Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 16 May 2025
  • Graham Coop, the director of the university’s Center for Population Biology, was among nearly 250 new members announced last month by the academy, one of the nation’s oldest scholarly societies.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 12 May 2025
Adjective
  • This definition also includes instance in which the victim is incapable of giving consent because of temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity (include due to the influence of drugs or alcohol) or because of age.
    Baltimore Sun staff, Baltimore Sun, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Without supervision or regulation, kids can easily stumble upon explicit material, including violent and extremist content, that can lead to mental distress, desensitization and a warped perception of the world around them.
    Richard Wistocki, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In the event of a tornado warning, seek shelter in your basement, safe room, or an interior room without windows.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 16 May 2025
  • If the 5,000 square feet of interior living space doesn’t seem like quite enough, the building has another 3,000 square feet of unused air rights, giving you the option to build up another four stories.
    Tori Latham, Robb Report, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • Cohen pushed back on some of those points, noting that other countries like Canada and Australia, which share many of the same psychological and cultural traits as the United States, have taken much swifter action to pass laws aimed at reducing traffic deaths.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 15 May 2025
  • The curse that plagues Rose is a chilling metaphor for unresolved psychological pain and how fear can metastasize when left untreated.
    Jane LaCroix, People.com, 15 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Intellectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intellectual. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on intellectual

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!