professorial

adjective

Definition of professorialnext
as in pedagogical

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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 professorial An English professor at Harvard and the author of two acclaimed novels, The Old Drift (2019) and The Furrows (2022), Serpell combines a professorial breadth of reference and a novelist’s fascination with the mechanics of literature. — Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026 Learning to Engage McMillon has an almost professorial air that’s articulate, polite and exudes competence — but his skill set was honed by long years of experience. — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 3 Feb. 2026 Gabriel has secrets hiding beneath his professorial veneer. — Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026 Hughes is a partner with the law firm Epstein Becker Green and a professorial lecturer in law at the George Washington University Law School. — Richard Hughes Iv, STAT, 12 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for professorial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for professorial
  1. pedagogical
  2. bookish
  3. nerdy
  4. scholastic
  5. tweedy
  6. donnish
  7. scholarly
  8. academic
Adjective
  • In a pedagogical culture that tends to shy away from unpleasantness, Goodwin’s approach felt like an honest — and valuable — way of dealing with one of the ugliest aspects of American literary history.
    — Helen I. Bennett, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Educators are urged to critically evaluate these tools, prioritizing pedagogical value and student thinking over mere feature adoption.
    — Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of pedagogical
Adjective
  • Like James himself, the men are clever and bookish, writing letters or diaries, reading voraciously, and imagining themselves into tales of romance and Biblical comeuppance.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Read our full bookish tribute to Parton here, or learn how to sign up for the Imagination Library here.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of bookish
Adjective
  • Taking over the role of nerdy wallflower Fern, as well as her popular alter ego Vylette, is Chicago non-binary actor AJ Paramo.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Also, don’t sleep on this relatively strong Mercury for smoothing your travels and adding a dose of nerdy stimulation to your adventures.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of nerdy
Adjective
  • Go literal with scholastic motifs, or keep it subtle with bright colors and minimalist designs.
    — Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The Union’s move is a small reversal of a decades-long trend away from scholastic sports as a soccer development tool.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of scholastic
Adjective
  • If tweedy free-speech absolutists and their aggrieved students are capable of finding common ground, this will be the issue that unites them.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
  • As men's wear grew less formal, Woody Allen would stake a claim on baggy khaki and corduroy as the uniform of a tweedy, tightly wound New Yorker.
    — Joshua Hunt, New York Times, 12 June 2024
Definition of tweedy
Adjective
  • Much of it is donnish intellectual history, full of interesting but digressive discussions.
    — Jeffrey Collins, WSJ, 5 Oct. 2018
Definition of donnish
Adjective
  • But all the biographical detail and the scholarly theorizing cannot complete the math.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Both are craftsmen, interested in immediate emotional response over esoteric scholarly unpacking.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of scholarly
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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Cite this Entry

“Professorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/professorial. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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