erudite

adjective

ˈer-ə-ˌdīt How to pronounce erudite (audio)
Definition of eruditenext
1
as in literate
having or displaying advanced knowledge or education the most erudite people in medical research attended the conference an erudite lecture on the latest discoveries in astronomy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in literary
suggestive of the vocabulary used in books the erudite language of a textbook on philosophy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of erudite An erudite peek into the brains of both murderers and those who study them, Crazy, Not Insane takes you behind the true crime and into the minds of true criminals. — James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026 Unlike most samurais of his time, Murashige is thoughtful, erudite and believes violence is never the answer — a philosophy that comes back to haunt him, especially in the final act. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026 While the train slowly pulls into Paris Gare de l'Est station the stewards, precise, practiced, and erudite as always, offer parting words. — Grace Banks, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2026 Soderbergh’s sly film asks what indeed constitutes great art and whether the answer lies in the eye of the beholder or in the erudite but not always reliable opinions from art criticism, art followers and the sometimes shallow artworld overall? — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for erudite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erudite
  1. literate
  2. literary
  3. educated
  4. scholarly
  5. civilized
Adjective
  • Luwi considered Koiye the first person in Waieti to become literate.
    — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The film still opened to a rather good $47 million globally (probably not helped by its title, which is fitting and literate but doesn’t really sell what the movie is about).
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of literate
Adjective
  • Many literary critics still struggle to engage with science fiction.
    — Carline Tromp, The Dial, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Xander literally split into his good and bad qualities, Faith and Buffy, already foils, swapping bodies, the Buffybot, Joan the Vampire Slayer, and so on—and doubling is of course a classic literary trope.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of literary
Adjective
  • That said, plenty of analysts and advocacy groups are already making educated guesses.
    — Jason St. Angelo, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • Protein Education Is on the Rise These days, consumers are becoming more educated on everything related to protein.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 July 2026
Definition of educated
Adjective
  • The menu is a scholarly affair, with drinks organized by decade and, beyond that, origin location.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Katz is known for a curatorial ethos that places scholarly rigor and popular appeal on equal footing.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of scholarly
Adjective
  • Leave it in its normal mode and the SQ5 behaves like a civilized luxury crossover.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The car may be more civilized than its predecessors, but its mill is still expected to produce up to 900 hp and redline at 9,000 rpm.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of civilized

Browse Nearby Words

eructs
erudite
erudition
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Erudite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erudite. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on erudite

Nglish: Translation of erudite for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All