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
-
Perhaps the homeliest dish is Karlsson’s ‘genius’ oatmeal porridge.
-
The important thing is the beauty that Michelangelo created, or the beauty that was constructed by the genius or geniuses who made the Acropolis.
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.
-
The work of the reclusive, forbiddingly erudite author turns out to be perfect easy-listening material.
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.
-
The German drum virtuoso wasn’t deeply familiar with the band’s repertoire when Lee and Lifeson first brought her to Toronto to jam.
Adjective
-
Originally, standard German would have served for writing purposes, for the limited number who were literate, but English slowly replaced it.
-
Camacho was literate in Spanish but not English.
Noun
-
But what was more notable was that the sandwich shop had a portal to a wizard's lair, which is where the Russo kids trained to become the only standing wizard family.
-
Beasley even lit up the scoreboard consistently across the globe in China, affording him unquestioned credentials as an offensive wizard worldwide.
Adjective
-
The sessions aim to pair scholarly depth with a casual, social atmosphere.
-
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.
Noun
-
They were refined and astute thinkers.
-
While agile new companies can offer top AI thinkers massive equity upside, Hassabis’s confidence is rooted in Google’s structural advantages, including its unparalleled ecosystem of data, integrated hardware, and sheer computing power.
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.
-
Students credit Burgess with helping shape not only their academic growth but also their confidence and character.
Cite this Entry
“Polymath.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polymath. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
