polymath

noun

poly·​math ˈpä-lē-ˌmath How to pronounce polymath (audio)
: a person of encyclopedic learning
polymath adjective
or polymathic

Examples of polymath in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Jones, the legendary polymath who died at age 91 on Sunday, spent a lifetime making music like this—music that defined its era by transcending it. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024 More than any of the wide-ranging jobs Miranda has taken on in the past five years, The Warriors, a classic yarn about underprivileged New Yorkers weathering an arduous power struggle, is catnip for the 44-year-old Pulitzer Prize–winning polymath. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024 The hip-hop polymath received the honor after his decade-plus of wins and achievements in the rap space as a hitmaker and producer. Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019 Tell me more about Rhiannon Giddens. Giddens, who is breaking Beyoncé’s internet as Banjo Auntie, is known in other circles as a folk polymath often interested in projects spanning Black music history. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 29 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for polymath 

Word History

Etymology

Greek polymathēs very learned, from poly- + manthanein to learn — more at mathematical

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of polymath was in 1621

Dictionary Entries Near polymath

Cite this Entry

“Polymath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polymath. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on polymath

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!