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
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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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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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intellectual
Eranda Jayawickreme, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
And frontiers always have a certain intellectual charisma.
—Caleb Crain, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
China’s politicians and intellectuals are embracing the Greek and Roman classics just as the study of these subjects declines in the West.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Adjective
Studies suggest that intellectual humility is associated with openness to opposing viewpoints, attempting to understand how another person sees the world.
—Eranda Jayawickreme, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
And frontiers always have a certain intellectual charisma.
—Caleb Crain, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
As a young woman, Stanton frequently visited her cousin Gerrit Smith, a militant abolitionist and an ally of John Brown, whose house in Peterboro, New York, was a hotbed for radical intellectuals.
—Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
China’s politicians and intellectuals are embracing the Greek and Roman classics just as the study of these subjects declines in the West.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intellectual
Adjective
-
Rather than lean into the chaos the challenge seemed to demand, Jane went cerebral.—
H. Alan Scott,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
And the hour-long results that premiere on the platform Friday are a mix of the cerebral and silly that audiences have come to expect from the Problemista filmmaker and former Saturday Night Live writer.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This money, if considered by the same lawmakers who have paid TSA in more than 40 days, would cover late fees, overdrafts, and even mental anguish.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
King, who is in his early fifties, is a former marine, a motivational speaker, and a mental-health and substance-abuse professional.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Founded by marine life artist Wyland, the foundation empowers people of all ages to become stewards of our planet through hands-on educational programs, public art, and national initiatives like the Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation.—
CBS LA Staff,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
These reviews explored links between early birth or low birth weight and outcomes such as intelligence scores, school performance, and the need for additional educational support.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Needless to say, so is every music nerd on the internet considering the band’s most recent album of experimental glitch rap, Year of the Snitch, came out way back in 2018.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
23 Mar. 2026
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But 15-year-old high school speech and debate nerds would catch it right away.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
While students are surrounded by technology, teachers say that exposure alone is not building the kind of skills needed for academic or professional environments.—
Darlin Tillery,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Wyzant provides academic tutoring services, which allow tutors to establish their own hourly rates that range between $25 and $100.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The department also pointed to internal FBI notes showing agents had planned to close out the investigation weeks before interviewing Flynn about Kislyak.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Marquez-Garrett, a member of the plaintiffs’ steering committee overseeing the thousands of claims consolidated in Los Angeles County, said upcoming bellwether trials are expected to reveal additional internal communications the companies sought to keep private.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Land acknowledgments, protest movements, scholarly conversations, the UN themed decade, and the Indigenous Literature category on Lit Hub all speak to that.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Acuña contributed chapters in dozens of anthologies and scholarly texts and wrote numerous book reviews, several children’s books, scholarly articles and opinion pieces in academic journals, magazines, listservs and newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times.—
Dorany Pineda,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 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 1 Apr. 2026.
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