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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
That is any sense, not just financial — intellectual, artistic and physical. Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 9 June 2025 In addition to her work on the diamond, Barnhart has donated time to the Miracle League of Metro Denver, which offers children and adults living with intellectual or physical challenges the opportunity to play baseball, and volunteered as a nanny for a family with a terminally ill parent. Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 9 June 2025
Noun
Highland Beach quickly became a magnet for prominent Black intellectuals, including Paul Robeson, Booker T. Washington, and W.E.B. Du Bois. Mariette Williams, Essence, 21 May 2025 Sagittarius: Claire Arnold Claire is the spoiled daughter of the California University chancellor and an intellectual. Lisa Stardust, People.com, 17 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intellectual
Adjective
  • The cerebral crowd attended lectures on topics such as the Italian sculptor Bernini.
    Fran Golden, AFAR Media, 29 May 2025
  • McCutchen said the next step in Cruz’s evolution is to go beyond his physical tools, and develop an instinctive, cerebral understanding of the sport.
    Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • The requirement for clean, reliable and secure data that can adapt to the changing demands of internal and external partners has become a table stake for forward-thinking companies in this marketplace.
    Lori Schafer, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Hegseth's use of Signal is now under internal investigation by the Defense Department's inspector general.
    Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • The following Naperville residents have completed college/university degrees or have been named to their school’s dean’s list, honor roll or similar academic achievement list. Names, degrees and honors appear below as provided by the respective schools.
    Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2025
  • Nearly one million Florida students missed more than three weeks of school last year, a staggering number of chronically absent children undermining their academic success.
    Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • This included touching her breast and inner thigh on four occasions despite being told to stop by the victim, according to a copy of the complaint filed in the Northern District of Texas and obtained by PEOPLE.
    Chris Spargo, People.com, 11 June 2025
  • Studies suggest that infections or health conditions cause inflammation in the inner layer of the colon.
    Janelle McSwiggin, Health, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • Narrative medicine, an increasingly popular scholarly field developed at Columbia University by the internist and literary scholar Rita Charon, aims to improve medical care by helping clinicians more fully understand their patients’ stories and perspectives.
    Danielle Ofri, New Yorker, 7 June 2025
  • Most of the remaining Kashmiri Hindus, primarily from the scholarly Pandit community, fled after a wave of religious attacks in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
    Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 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
  • This assumes that all three of these players represent improvement from the interior blockers who were overwhelmed in the regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions and the Wild Card loss to the Rams.
    Steve Silverman, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
  • Because the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, everything was done meticulously to keep its interior and exterior as close to its original look as possible.
    Michael P. McKinney, USA Today, 7 June 2025
Adjective
  • Jones was sentenced to five years of probation, one year of psychological counseling and two years of drug and alcohol abuse counseling.
    Stephanie Guerilus, People.com, 8 June 2025
  • Inter were on for a treble until late April and the accumulation of fatigue, psychological baggage and Paris Saint-Germain putting in a historic display left a bad impression of a team that remains, for many, the best in Italy, regardless of Napoli’s domestic league title.
    James Horncastle, New York Times, 8 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Intellectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intellectual. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.

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