polymath 1 of 2

noun

Definition of polymathnext
as in genius
formal someone who knows a lot about many different things She is rightly regarded as something of a polymath in her extensive knowledge of all the earth sciences.

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polymath

2 of 2

adjective

variants or polymathic
as in erudite

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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 polymath
Noun
Putnam was a polymath who made important strides far beyond just philosophy to mathematics, logic, computer science, and even quantum mechanics. — Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Ben Franklin, the oldest founding father and polymath, stands across from George Washington, the first president of the United States. — Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 20 July 2026 By comparing shadows at two locations, the Greek polymath Eratosthenes becomes the first person to accurately calculate the circumference of the earth. — New York Times, 17 July 2026 One artist who inspired Kelela’s approach to world-building is her close friend Solange Knowles, a polymath whose work includes music, performance art, design, teaching and amplifying Black artistry through her Saint Heron platform. — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for polymath
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polymath
  1. genius
  2. erudite
  3. virtuoso
  4. literate
  5. wizard
  6. scholarly
  7. thinker
  8. academic
Noun
  • The Musk Myth How Hollywood burnished the entrepreneur’s image as a benevolent genius.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Like Musk, Jobs was seen as a genius founder whose persona was woven into his company’s DNA.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of genius
Adjective
  • Like Dante, Nick Tosches was an undaunted character whose tongue-twisting prose was an iconoclastic mash-up of realism and intricate, erudite lyricism.
    — A.D. Amorosi, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Prolific author and erudite British import David Thomson has been writing about film for more than six decades.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
Definition of erudite
Noun
  • Stomp-and-holler virtuoso Noah Kahan had to cancel his July appearance at Citi Field when storm clouds threatened.
    — Matthew Schneier, Curbed, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Roy Clark could show up at Felix and Oscar’s New York apartment in The Odd Couple to demonstrate his virtuoso pickin’ skills and be summoned to Burbank to sub in for Johnny Carson as a guest host of The Tonight Show.
    — David Kamp, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of virtuoso
Adjective
  • For a long time, the book’s iconic cover—a stark image evoking Trayvon Martin’s hoodie against a white backdrop—seemed to be on every other literate person’s nightstand.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • And for anyone who would rather opt out of all this entirely, Philip Johnson’s first residential commission is being restored in Bedford and will soon be looking for a very architecturally literate new owner!
    — Nora DeLigter, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of literate
Noun
  • Still, Lombard arrived with the reputation of a fielding wizard after his predecessor, Anthony Volpe, saw his defense drastically decline while playing through a shoulder injury last season.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • And for all the Padres’ successes under private equity wizard Peter Seidler, his biggest bet went bust, the ‘23 Padres missing the playoffs despite his approving MLB’s third-highest payroll.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of wizard
Adjective
  • Both are craftsmen, interested in immediate emotional response over esoteric scholarly unpacking.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Its attribution and history have attracted extensive scholarly attention.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of scholarly
Noun
  • This coexistence of one god and many gods may initially appear contradictory, but a clearer picture emerges by tracing the history of how Hindu texts, traditions, and thinkers—and some Western scholars—have answered this question.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But alongside serious thinkers such as Rankine, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Saidiya Hartman, less rigorous writers and ideas were also elevated.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of thinker
Adjective
  • Advertisement Unfortunately, some of my academic and clinical colleagues have dismissed this approach.
    — David H. Rosmarin, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Hutton said Calumet College regularly sends representatives to the school to monitor it, including its governance system and academic programs.
    — Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of academic

Browse Nearby Words

polyhistors
polymath
polymaths
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Cite this Entry

“Polymath.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polymath. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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