scholar

noun

schol·​ar ˈskä-lər 

1

: a person who attends a school or studies under a teacher : pupil

2

a

: a person who has done advanced study in a special field

b

: a learned person

3

: a holder of a scholarship

Synonyms

• pundit
• sage
• savant

Examples of scholar in a Sentence

She's a renowned scholar of African-American history.

scholars have long debated whether there is ever such a thing as a truly selfless act

Recent Examples on the Web

Collaborators on the project include scholars Saidiya Hartman and Christina Sharpe, who are credited on the screenplay. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025

The cartoonists Joe Sacco and Chris Ware pop up, as do the comics scholar Hillary Chute and J. Hoberman, who’s a longtime friend and a Times contributor. —Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025

The 2025 class of Sloan Research Fellows includes 126 early-career scholars identified as being among the most promising scientific researchers currently working in their fields. —Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

As literary and cultural scholar Jesse S. Cohn writes, these developments are part of the remarkable influx of literature and art of the fantastic into American politics. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 18 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English scoler, from Old English scolere & Anglo-French escoler, from Medieval Latin scholaris, from Late Latin, of a school, from Latin schola school

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing scholar

• Rhodes scholar

Kids Definition

scholar

noun

schol·​ar ˈskäl-ər 

1

: a person who attends a school or studies under a teacher : pupil

2

a

: a person who has done advanced study in a special area

b

: a learned person

3

: a holder of a scholarship

scholarly adjective