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
Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 17 Feb. 2026
This starts with intellectual rigor and time studying the various areas of law the Supreme Court touches.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2026
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
Institutions like the Encyclopædia Britannica speak to the spirit that helped create an environment where intellectuals like them could flourish.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Adjective
Minimalism continues to evolve into a more intellectual approach to tailoring.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 17 Feb. 2026
This starts with intellectual rigor and time studying the various areas of law the Supreme Court touches.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
For four hours, the group of artists and intellectuals – many of whom had not seen each other in fifty years – reminisced, critiqued, argued, laughed and drank while wrestling with their place in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
Institutions like the Encyclopædia Britannica speak to the spirit that helped create an environment where intellectuals like them could flourish.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intellectual
Adjective
-
The heady sensuality of Aїnouz’s best films (Invisible Life, Madame Satã) is somewhat smothered by the cold cerebral mischief of Filippou’s writing.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
-
That’s a big change for the cerebral right-hander, who’ll be counted on to return from injuries and provide stability to a rebuilt rotation coming off the worst season in major league history.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Matcha delivers a steady boost of energy and improves mental focus through a combination of caffeine and the amino acid L-theanine.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
16 Feb. 2026
-
From mental aspects to the game, to the development on the younger stages, everyone has a theory, but no real solution.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Those foundations include the Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Hungary’s largest educational institution, which has close ties to Orbán’s government.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Recently De Sarno was involved in a new collective educational project at the IED Florence school, with 50 students from different disciplines.—
Andrea Onate,
Footwear News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
An array of charts buried in the fine print of the state budget, unknown to all but a few fiscal nerds, details what California has collected in revenues and spent over the last half-century.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
For the heartfelt poster nerd, this is where collecting grows most focussed, in the pursuit of works by an individual artist.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Her academic studies have taken her from China to Hungary to the United Arab Emirates.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
-
However, the priest has been praised by progressives for his academic achievements and his efforts to assist the poor.—
Manuel Rueda,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
After Clark stepped down on Tuesday because an internal investigation unearthed an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, the union announced on Wednesday that Meyer will take over on an interim basis entering a pivotal year for the future of the sport.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Lanier presented internal documents that seemed to contradict that statement.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Internal decision-making can become polarized, funding relationships strained, and exhibitions evaluated through ideological lenses rather than scholarly merit.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The fact that Katherine had been institutionalized may have tainted her scholarly reputation.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Intellectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intellectual. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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