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

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 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 See All Example Sentences for polymath

Recent Examples of Synonyms for polymath

Noun

Newcomer Mia Tharia’s Josie is a sickly genius who’s invariably kind to Klara and precociously self-aware in the vein of YA teen heroes everywhere.

— Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026
With stars, form, and strategic geniuses on both sides, today's face-off is promising to be a game for the ages.

— Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of genius

Adjective

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
In depicting the highs and lows of a fictional presidential administration — that of erudite, strong-willed Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) — Aaron Sorkin’s series pulled in millions of viewers and plenty of awards, including 26 Primetime Emmys.

— Madeline Boardman, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of erudite

Noun

Much has been made of Winter’s idiosyncratic star power, and as an extremely tall, wet-dog-handsome instrumental virtuoso with a one-of-a-kind voice and just enough self-aware wit and lacerating lyricism to keep it relatable, that’s indisputable.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
The Field family relocated to London, and John studied with the Italian virtuoso Muzio Clementi.

— Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of virtuoso

Adjective

For a growing list of health-literate celebrities, the answer was no until chronic irritation forced an eye exam.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2026
Highly literate working men and women were almost always in the vanguard of campaigns for social and democratic change.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of literate

Noun

Pittol is an ice cream wizard, capable of distilling the essence of nearly any flavor into frozen dessert form.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Since his host has a strict rule about using human avatars in this environment, the bad guy now presents as the gentleman from The Blacklist rocking a wizard’s beard.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of wizard

Adjective

If the source is a scholarly journal article, the article’s title appears in a larger font above the additional bibliographic information.

— The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 Oct. 2026
Generating scholarly tomes at a rate of more than one a year involves obsessive amounts of research.

— Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of scholarly

Noun

The great religious thinkers of Antiquity—from Gautama to Pythagoras to Jesus—taught that property should be renounced or held in common.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
At his suggestion, Gray began to dive into writings by Gilles Deleuze, bell hooks and Frantz Fanon, thinkers who engaged questions of difference, race and identity.

— Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of thinker

Adjective

The experts, who had all studied AI in academic settings, all brought up the ironies of the automation problem, where AI makes errors that humans can’t catch.

— Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026
His main issues are declining enrollment, academic struggles, teacher turnover and family engagement.

— Sophia Veneziano, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of academic

Browse Nearby Words

polyhistors

polymath

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Style

“Polymath.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polymath. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of polymath

noun

adjective

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