POLYMATH Synonyms: 110 Similar and Opposite Words

polymath 1 of 2

noun

Definition of polymath

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

Robert Gordon The polymath author/moviemaker/historian and three-time Grammy winner has provided audiences with insight and entertainment for decades, via books, CD anthologies and documentaries that take deep dives into music, politics and culture. — John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 2 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for polymath

Recent Examples of Synonyms for polymath

Noun

No, the Unabomber, a onetime math genius and professor named Ted Kaczynski, was basically a hermit nerd in a Montana cabin who mailed bombs to scientists, engineers, professors, and other elites.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Their attention to detail in the studio when arranging each member’s parts was like witnessing true geniuses at work.

— Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of genius

Adjective

But that was long enough for Anthony Hopkins to nab a Best Actor Oscar for his chillingly erudite cannibal in 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs.

— Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of erudite

Noun

In 2023, the comedian, actor, writer, and banjo virtuoso Steve Martin was walking through SoHo, followed closely by two men holding a laptop.

— David Owen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Conductor Gustavo Dudamel’s arrival at the New York Philharmonic has triggered a rhapsody in the city’s classical-music scene—particularly among the young virtuosos of the Juilliard School, shot here with some of the Philharmonic’s key players.

— Theo Wenner, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of virtuoso

Adjective

The high school grads the state is producing are supposed to be literate persons, but Young and Rosa have undermined that by getting rid of the tests with no replacement standards.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026
The more emotionally literate approach of Prince William and Prince Harry — and, in recent years, the king — is a legacy of that time.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of literate

Adjective

According to some scholarly media critics, the plethora of popular portrayals of polygamy in the FLDS and related groups transforms the subject into a sensationalist spectacle.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026
Additionally, The Craft of Living, long available only in a partial, bowdlerized version, has finally been translated in full, by Julian Sachs, with a helpful introduction and scholarly apparatus by Iuri Moscardi.

— Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of scholarly

Noun

One of these thinkers was Bartolomeo Balbi, who translated Bushido and other Japanese books.

— Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 22 Sep. 2026
From the great artists and thinkers who shaped civilization to the artisans and industrial districts that continue to define excellence today, Italy has consistently transformed creativity and expertise into enduring value.

— Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of thinker

Adjective

The program aimed to help in the academic, professional and personal development of Black and brown women, until it was eliminated in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion cuts two years ago.

— Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Georgia Tech in 2001 broke ground on an ambitious — and unproven — plan to to transform eight blocks of derelict lots in Midtown into an academic and corporate hub.

— Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of academic

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polyhistors

polymath

polymaths

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Style

“Polymath.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polymath. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of polymath

noun

adjective

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