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

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

Noun

Listen, Mark is a genius choreographer and always knows how to make his partners look good regardless of skill level, but come on, some of this is just because Maura is a good dancer!

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
The latter has earned raves for her turn as a math genius stuck under the thumb of an abusive boyfriend (and an academic system designed to ignore and exploit her).

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 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

For more than 50 years, with a few breaks in between, Squeeze has been making memorable tunes by marrying infectious pop melodies with sophisticated and literate lyrics, often about the complexity of relationships.

— Craig Rosen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Printed, copied, and circulated among an extraordinarily literate population, the Constitution executed a covenant and allowed, too, for the exertion of power over vast distances.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of literate

Noun

Edward Said, the late Palestinian literary and cultural critic, academic and fierce defender of his people, tells his story in his own words — an apt choice for a film about an intellectual thinker.

— Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Annie Dillard, the masterful stylist and brilliant thinker, has died at 81.

— James Folta, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of thinker

Adjective

Inside the closed cockpits of WEC’s two classes of sports car, the difference may be academic.

— Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Two decades and many drafts later, the project pulled in her academic background in gender studies alongside something more personal.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of academic

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Style

“Polymath.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polymath. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of polymath

noun

adjective

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