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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
variants
or polymathic
as in erudite
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2026
That suspect is the reclusive polymath Nick Szabo who ticks all of the same boxes as Back and whose initials are conveniently the inverse of Satoshi Nakamoto.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026
Potter and artistic polymath Kawai Kanjiro was a key figure in the 20th-century Mingei folk art movement.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2026
Pop polymath Dua Lipa is adding another line to her ever-expanding résume — this time as a literary tastemaker.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polymath
Noun
In fact, the German naturalist and polymath has been described as the person with more species – from penguins and monkeys to an orchid – and places named after him than any other human.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2026
That suspect is the reclusive polymath Nick Szabo who ticks all of the same boxes as Back and whose initials are conveniently the inverse of Satoshi Nakamoto.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026
Potter and artistic polymath Kawai Kanjiro was a key figure in the 20th-century Mingei folk art movement.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2026
Pop polymath Dua Lipa is adding another line to her ever-expanding résume — this time as a literary tastemaker.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polymath
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polymath
Noun
-
And Peter Asher, who was one-half of the 1960s British pop duo Peter and Gordon before going on to become one of the most powerful record producers of the 1970s, is a figure of talent and charisma and fascination, even if part of that was his genius for being in the right place at the right time.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
21 June 2026
-
Once there, a combination of Messi’s genius, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s larger-than-life performances, a well-balanced team, and — it must be said — some unsavoury moments of skullduggery by several players, helped Argentina battle their way to the final against defending champions France.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
Original host Dave Garroway was an erudite guide who shaped the mix of news, lifestyle and human interest stories that still define morning news programs.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
10 June 2026
-
The work of the reclusive, forbiddingly erudite author turns out to be perfect easy-listening material.—
Namara Smith,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
He was widely celebrated as a virtuoso who nurtured America’s economic well-being and whose nearly every utterance was parsed for clues as to where interest rates, the economy and the financial markets might be headed.—
Paul Wiseman,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
-
The German drum virtuoso wasn’t deeply familiar with the band’s repertoire when Lee and Lifeson first brought her to Toronto to jam.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
Camacho was literate in Spanish but not English.—
Robert Polner,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
-
Henry sees the change as an unfair burden to senior riders who are not as technologically literate and low-income residents who don’t have bank accounts to link to the phone app or a credit card.—
Dylan Lysen
June 11,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Beasley even lit up the scoreboard consistently across the globe in China, affording him unquestioned credentials as an offensive wizard worldwide.—
Juan Carlos Blanco,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
At the time, Soros, along with the financiers Julian Robertson and Michael Steinhardt, defined the public image of hedge-fund managers as investment wizards who made fortunes through huge bets, contrarian calls, iron stomachs, and a willingness to operate close to—or over—the regulatory line.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
According to Mercy Fash and Emani Campbell’s emerging scholarly research at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, this intersection is worthy of greater attention because of an exacerbated threat that could severely harm Black women.—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
The women had been close friends while studying for their doctorates some years earlier, but Catherine has since grown resentful of Leonora’s career, and dismissive of women whose scholarly ambitions come before marital subservience.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Consolmagno’s reasoning helps explain why proof of extraterrestrial life hasn’t shaken the faith of many Catholic thinkers.—
Luis Parrales,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
-
The event influenced Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire and helped push early ideas in seismology.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Priya Bhardwaj does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.—
Priya Bhardwaj,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
-
Students credit Burgess with helping shape not only their academic growth but also their confidence and character.—
Alexa Liacko,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Polymath.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polymath. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
