as in nerds
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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Recent Examples of intellectuals
The first National Conservatism conferences drew students and intellectuals who felt marginalized by the Republican Party and dreamed about taking power.
—
David Weigel, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noah Baumbach’s painfully incisive portrait of a family divorce among a remarkably prickly family of Brooklyn intellectuals finds so many ways to showcase its characters’ most brittle sides.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
From the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival to the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival and everything in between, Black intellectuals are coming together to share notes and swap contacts to forge new relationships and invest in each other.
—Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
For American politicians and intellectuals alike, criticizing Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank or questioning America’s support for Israel has become dangerous, all too often incurring charges of antisemitism.
—Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
There were radicals, activists, intellectuals as well as common criminals, the usual power brokers, and always a mob lurking in the background.
—Phil Terrana, Baltimore Sun, 20 Mar. 2025
During the Cold War, political parties, trade unions, intellectuals, civil-society organizations, and even religious leaders forged transnational ties in defense of democratic ideas—remember the AFL-CIO’s embrace of Poland’s Solidarity movement?
—Michael McFaul, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
The property was originally built by a philosopher and theologian as a retreat for artists and intellectuals, and is now famous for hosting the G7 summit in 2015 and 2022.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2025
Although other Russian intellectuals have called for Ukraine’s incorporation into the Russian Federation, none have done so for quite so long, or with such a murderous tone, as Dugin.
—James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025
David Weigel, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noah Baumbach’s painfully incisive portrait of a family divorce among a remarkably prickly family of Brooklyn intellectuals finds so many ways to showcase its characters’ most brittle sides.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
From the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival to the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival and everything in between, Black intellectuals are coming together to share notes and swap contacts to forge new relationships and invest in each other.
—Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
For American politicians and intellectuals alike, criticizing Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank or questioning America’s support for Israel has become dangerous, all too often incurring charges of antisemitism.
—Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
There were radicals, activists, intellectuals as well as common criminals, the usual power brokers, and always a mob lurking in the background.
—Phil Terrana, Baltimore Sun, 20 Mar. 2025
During the Cold War, political parties, trade unions, intellectuals, civil-society organizations, and even religious leaders forged transnational ties in defense of democratic ideas—remember the AFL-CIO’s embrace of Poland’s Solidarity movement?
—Michael McFaul, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
The property was originally built by a philosopher and theologian as a retreat for artists and intellectuals, and is now famous for hosting the G7 summit in 2015 and 2022.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2025
Although other Russian intellectuals have called for Ukraine’s incorporation into the Russian Federation, none have done so for quite so long, or with such a murderous tone, as Dugin.
—James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intellectuals
Noun
-
But now this metropolis of some 2 million people has more and more options for later in the day, ranging from an intimate dining counter where a local chef nerds out about indigenous ingredients to a sleek izakaya bar where the city’s scene-seeking gastronomes gather for spicy tuna hand rolls.—
Ann Abel,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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But that’s only the kind of backstory that film nerds need to know.—
Samantha Allen,
Them.,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Carolyn thought that freaks and geeks would be more appreciated and understood by fellow players after the triumph of another goofy fan favorite on Survivor 42.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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The fantastically versatile Billie Piper, who has charmed geeks in Doctor Who and goths in Penny Dreadful, makes an intriguing foil for cello phenom Wednesday as the school’s new head of music.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Intellectuals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intellectuals. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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