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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variants
or polymathic
as in erudite
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of polymath
George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Last night on Instagram, the polymath poet, culture worker, and song stylist announced a new literary project.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
Even during his glittering publishing career at i-D, W, and the American, Italian and British editions of Vogue, the fashion polymath remained a stylist and consultant — staging runway shows and even directing a film — such was his London fashion-world reknown.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The British polymath Lewis Fry Richardson was the first to try his hand at using the laws of physics to model the weather system.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polymath
Noun
Genre-leaping music polymath Jon Batiste, who won five Grammys in 2022 – including Album of the Year – was not nominated in that top category this year.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Last night on Instagram, the polymath poet, culture worker, and song stylist announced a new literary project.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
Even during his glittering publishing career at i-D, W, and the American, Italian and British editions of Vogue, the fashion polymath remained a stylist and consultant — staging runway shows and even directing a film — such was his London fashion-world reknown.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The British polymath Lewis Fry Richardson was the first to try his hand at using the laws of physics to model the weather system.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polymath
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polymath
Noun
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Michael Malone, during his Nuggets days, was a genius at creating enemies, of underlining slights that may or may not have ever been real.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
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There’s even a Radiohead art-rock mantra that seems to come directly from Kelson’s mad-genius mind.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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With Raffles, Wanders has created a property that oozes a quiet, cultured elegance that mirrors the city’s erudite aspirations.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Put on the costume, wear the expression, slip on the spectacles, and present yourself as erudite.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Suffused with dread and bathed in reverb, the record captures two virtuosos at their most vulnerable.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
23 Jan. 2026
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And the first half was a virtuoso blend of aggressiveness and controlling tempo from Payton, as Nix had a couple of deep shots to Marvin Mims and Lil'Jordan Humphrey, but also controlled the game with his legs.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The study contributes to the academic field of ethnomathematics, which identifies mathematical knowledge embedded in cultural expression by prehistoric or non-literate communities.—
Jasmin Sykes,
CNN Money,
16 Jan. 2026
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That digitally literate generation then built world-beating technology companies.—
Oscar Täckström,
Fortune,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The family rocked a Harry Potter group costume on Halloween in 2021, which saw Biel dressed as Professor McGonagall, Timberlake as Dumbledore, Silas as Potter and baby Phineas as Hedwig, the young wizard's pet owl.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
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Only the best of the bat-to-ball wizards can build a career in the majors.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The fact that Katherine had been institutionalized may have tainted her scholarly reputation.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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Brown-Grier argued that this knowledge gap is not just a scholarly problem but a governance one.—
Marybeth Gasman,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Leaders & Idea-Makers Educators, executives, creators, founders, analysts, and public thinkers who shape conversations and influence decisions.—
Daphne Koller,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
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Dylan Black, a SDA freshman who took the pilot course this year, said the class allowed students to learn more about each other and also become better debaters and thinkers.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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When boys are asked to show up consistently for real people, academic readiness and emotional readiness develop side by side.—
Dr. Liz Doe Stone,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Meyer studied international relations with a minor in history, and she was named to the PAC-12’s academic honor roll twice.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Polymath.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polymath. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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