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
The first scientist to address this question was a Belgian polymath named Adolphe Quetelet (1796–1874). — Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026 Zhang Heng’s seismoscope Chinese polymath Zhang Heng created his earthquake-detecting instrument in 132 CE. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026 Photography by Venetia Scott impresses itself on you like that—an entire aesthetic world, made by an ultra-discreet British fashion photographer-polymath who lives and works at the end of a quiet street in North Kensington. — Sarah Mower, Architectural Digest, 5 Aug. 2026 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 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
  • Custom zellige tiles imported from Fez cover the walls of the kitchen and baths, where Helen’s genius for juxtaposing colors and materials comes into high relief.
    — Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 12 Nov. 2026
  • The genius of this mac ’n’ cheese Edna Lewis recipe, with some slight tweaks, is in the details — both cubed and grated cheddar, and a balance of spices.
    — Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of genius
Adjective
  • His Captain Picard on Star Trek was erudite, smart, a man of control and precision.
    — Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Among them was Maria Edgeworth, an erudite woman who helped shape how the emerging field of economics reached the wider world.
    — Julia R. Cartwright, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of erudite
Noun
  • Composer and piano virtuoso Clara Schumann, whose influence on 19th-century classical music is impossible to quantify.
    — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • John Mayer is launching his own record label, Sob Rock Records, the singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso confirmed Thursday, partnering with Universal Music Group’s Mercury Records for the new venture.
    — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of virtuoso
Adjective
  • The city’s current head of government, Zohran Mamdani, is perhaps the most culturally literate mayor since Ed Koch.
    — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Its purpose was to cultivate a population of Christian men who were well-spoken, literate, and capable of integrating with high society.
    — JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of literate
Noun
  • Among the counties now favoring Colom is Forrest County, home to Hattiesburg and named for Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest, the Ku Klux Klan’s first grand wizard.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Forrest County’s Competing Legacies Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Tennessee slave trader who became a Confederate general, later served as the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction.
    — Sam Stevenson, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of wizard
Adjective
  • In 2013, the ASA was one of the first major American scholarly associations to endorse an academic boycott of Israel.
    — Nancy Koppelman, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The manuscript comprises the Bible (Old and New Testaments) and an assortment of other ancient historical, scholarly, and religious writings.
    — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of scholarly
Noun
  • While the crowds can be intense, the latter draws an international audience of writers, thinkers, and book lovers.
    — Shalbha Sarda, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2026
  • In lieu of meaningful financial and intellectual compensation, any thinkers of such caliber today might understandably find arts criticism unworthy of their time and/or just share it to their Letterboxd for free.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of thinker
Adjective
  • Many academic researchers publish only a handful of papers each year, seeking scientific discoveries or solutions to everyday problems facing businesses and government agencies.
    — TODD WALLACK THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Model procedures should provide timely notice, straightforward requests, and alternative assignments without academic penalties.
    — Ilya Shapiro, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 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 13 Nov. 2026.

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