INTELLECTUALS Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

intellectuals

noun

plural of intellectual

as in nerds

a person with strong intellectual interests discovered that in politics a reputation for being an intellectual was regarded as a liability

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 intellectuals The trend toward treating it as a celebrity hobby or a passion project is symptomatic of the current wider social phobia of experts and intellectuals. — Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 6 Nov. 2026 Activists abroad have expressed concern about deportees returning to Iran, whose theocracy has been cracking down on intellectuals and where the government vociferously cracks down on any dissent. — Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026 The company named all its weapons after Ukrainian intellectuals and artists killed or persecuted by Russians in the last century. — Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026 These new lines of thought, which have gained prominence among influential defense intellectuals and policy experts close to the Kremlin over the past year do not need to be endorsed in formal security doctrine to matter. — Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2026 In 1972, filmmaker William Greaves gathered artists and intellectuals associated with the Harlem Renaissance for an intimate dinner party at Duke Ellington’s home, capturing their conversations on 16mm. — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 The initial wave of departures was made up of African American intellectuals, church leaders and merchants. — Karen Masterson, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026 For the artists and intellectuals who lived there across two decades of pioneering residency programs, Georgia’s Ossabaw Island was a potent source of inspiration. — The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026 Latin became the language of administration in the western half of the empire—the language used by politicians, soldiers, and intellectuals. — Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for intellectuals

Noun

There were breathless updates of the votes and nerds spewing numbers from various counties like baseball broadcasters discussing weighted on-base average.

— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Nov. 2026
This sleek little mug, designed by the coffee nerds at Fellow, keeps your brew hot (or cold) without sacrificing flavor.

— Brianna Plaza, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026