Synonyms of scholarship

scholarship

noun

ˈskä-lər-ˌship 

as in literacy

the understanding and information gained from being educated

the historian's new book displays a remarkable level of scholarship

Synonyms & Similar Words

• literacy
• knowledge
• education
• learning
• erudition
• culture
• learnedness
• enlightenment
• edification
• reading
• pedantry
• bookishness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignorance
• illiteracy
• illiterateness
• functional illiteracy

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun scholarship differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of scholarship are erudition, knowledge, and learning. While all these words mean "what is or can be known by an individual or by humankind," scholarship implies the possession of learning characteristic of the advanced scholar in a specialized field of study or investigation.

a work of first-rate literary scholarship

When might erudition be a better fit than scholarship?

The synonyms erudition and scholarship are sometimes interchangeable, but erudition strongly implies the acquiring of profound, recondite, or bookish learning.

an erudition unusual even in a scholar

Where would knowledge be a reasonable alternative to scholarship?

Although the words knowledge and scholarship have much in common, knowledge applies to facts or ideas acquired by study, investigation, observation, or experience.

rich in the knowledge of human nature

When is learning a more appropriate choice than scholarship?

The words learning and scholarship are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, learning applies to knowledge acquired especially through formal, often advanced, schooling.

a book that demonstrates vast learning

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of scholarship

Only students whose family income is below 300% of the federal poverty level, currently about $96,000 for a family of four, will be eligible to receive scholarships through the program. —Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register, 6 Jan. 2026

Some of the foundation’s programs include local initiatives like Back2School Kicks, which donates shoes and backpacks to Chicago kids, and the Amir Darwish scholarship for refugees. —Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026

The departure of Hansen leaves UF with only two experienced scholarship tight ends, senior Tony Livingston and redshirt sophomore Amir Jackson, who decided not to enter the portal. —Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2026

There’s a cost to swapping out curriculum that produced Fulbright scholars for beach volleyball scholarships, and The Times missed it. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026