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
Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Nov. 2025
His Netflix comedy, The Vince Staples Show, captures both sides — the creative polymath and the dispassionate observer of life — at once.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
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
Private Money, Public Breakthroughs To call Saad Bhamla and his seven co-recipients polymaths is more than flattery.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polymath
Noun
O’Dell — producer, director, full-time nightlife polymath.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Nov. 2025
His Netflix comedy, The Vince Staples Show, captures both sides — the creative polymath and the dispassionate observer of life — at once.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
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
Private Money, Public Breakthroughs To call Saad Bhamla and his seven co-recipients polymaths is more than flattery.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polymath
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polymath
Noun
-
That savvy turned to genius when Joe starting serving stone crabs there in 1921, turning his namesake restaurant into a century-old global phenomenon.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The lasagna roll-up is a genius approach to uniform serving sizes.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The behind-the-scenes footage of the series, some of it previously unaired, allows viewers to see Walsh’s full range — erudite professor, taskmaster, West Coast offense wizard and comic cut-up.—
Daniel Brown,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Aside from long, immersive game drives without another car in sight, the erudite, passionate guides take guests on nature walks or to visit RISE, an innovative research center on site where scientists are using data to inform conservation solutions.—
Jennifer Flowers,
AFAR Media,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Suffused with dread and bathed in reverb, the record captures two virtuosos at their most vulnerable.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
23 Jan. 2026
-
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
-
According to family lore, Henry had somehow circumvented the state’s strict law against educating the enslaved and become literate.—
Eugene Robinson,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
The fact that Katherine had been institutionalized may have tainted her scholarly reputation.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
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
-
What unifies these thinkers is a totalizing and conspiratorial conception of modern liberal politics.—
Laura K. Field,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
-
While forming a global network of thinkers, the IPS has developed over the past five years to critically examine the material, discursive, and aesthetic scope of everything that might fall under the heading of postnatural.—
Catherine Taft,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
