erudition

noun

er·​u·​di·​tion ˌer-ə-ˈdi-shən 

ˌer-yə-

: extensive knowledge acquired chiefly from books : profound, recondite, or bookish learning

Synonyms

• education
• knowledge
• learnedness
• learning
• literacy
• scholarship

Choose the Right Synonym for erudition

knowledge, learning, erudition, scholarship mean what is or can be known by an individual or by humankind.

knowledge applies to facts or ideas acquired by study, investigation, observation, or experience.

rich in the knowledge of human nature

learning applies to knowledge acquired especially through formal, often advanced, schooling.

a book that demonstrates vast learning

erudition strongly implies the acquiring of profound, recondite, or bookish learning.

an erudition unusual even in a scholar

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

Examples of erudition in a Sentence

a scholar of remarkable erudition

a scientist of impressive erudition but with a down-to-earth manner

Recent Examples on the Web

The long first act drags near the finish, its erudition blurring into dramatic monotony. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 30 June 2024

Horowitz’s erudition, combined with his energy, is a powerful sales tool. —Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024

Making Global Society: A Study of Humankind Across Three Eras By Barry Buzan Cambridge University Press, 2023, 522 pp. Loading... With characteristic ambition and erudition, Buzan tells the sweeping story of the rise and evolution of modern global society. —Barry Buzan, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024

Though a few reviews recognized the book’s originality and astonishing erudition, sales were meager. —Eugene Linden, TIME, 21 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

erudition

noun

er·​u·​di·​tion ˌer-(y)ə-ˈdish-ən 

: a wide amount of knowledge gained chiefly from books : learning