scholarly

adjective

schol·​ar·​ly ˈskä-lər-lē 

: of, characteristic of, or suitable to a scholar : learned, academic

Synonyms of scholarly

• literate
• educated
• civilized

Examples of scholarly in a Sentence

His writings have been recently given scholarly attention.

She has a scholarly interest in music.

a scholarly study of words and their origins

Recent Examples on the Web

Students begin with one scholarly article in JSTOR, usually from their discipline, and choose an idea, question, concept, argument, or even a citation that interests them. — Saurabh Anand, JSTOR Daily, 24 Sep. 2026

According to some scholarly media critics, the plethora of popular portrayals of polygamy in the FLDS and related groups transforms the subject into a sensationalist spectacle. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026

Additionally, The Craft of Living, long available only in a partial, bowdlerized version, has finally been translated in full, by Julian Sachs, with a helpful introduction and scholarly apparatus by Iuri Moscardi. — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

But all the biographical detail and the scholarly theorizing cannot complete the math. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined above