as in literate
having or displaying advanced knowledge or education
any well-read person would recognize the quotation
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Recent Examples of well-read
Heeding these cryptic words some three decades later, the audacious (and well-read) impresario Tony Wilson opened the Haçienda together with the circle of post-punk musicians and designers involved with his label, Factory Records.
—
Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2026
The nine writers in our workshop were passionate, present, curious, rigorous, and, as a group, well-read across several languages.
—Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
Joe Goldberg, Penn Badgley’s character in the Netflix thriller series You, is a bit of a bibliophile—and Badgley, too, is rather well-read.
—Mathias Rosenzweig, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
But his shot was tame and well-read by Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2025
The same parents who built our algorithmic economy now limit their own children’s exposure to it, creating a new kind of digital divide—one where being unplugged and well-read are the ultimate luxuries.
—Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2026
The nine writers in our workshop were passionate, present, curious, rigorous, and, as a group, well-read across several languages.
—Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
Joe Goldberg, Penn Badgley’s character in the Netflix thriller series You, is a bit of a bibliophile—and Badgley, too, is rather well-read.
—Mathias Rosenzweig, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
But his shot was tame and well-read by Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2025
The same parents who built our algorithmic economy now limit their own children’s exposure to it, creating a new kind of digital divide—one where being unplugged and well-read are the ultimate luxuries.
—Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for well-read
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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Ricart, a former chair of the National Automobile Dealers Association, has seen that rate double at his lot as consumers have become more educated.—
Summer Ballentine,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
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Faster diagnostics are the new front line For decades, treating bacterial infections has involved a lot of educated guesswork.—
André O. Hudson,
The Conversation,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The fact that Katherine had been institutionalized may have tainted her scholarly reputation.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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Brown-Grier argued that this knowledge gap is not just a scholarly problem but a governance one.—
Marybeth Gasman,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Well-read.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/well-read. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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