scholar

noun

schol·​ar ˈskä-lər How to pronounce scholar (audio)
Synonyms of scholar
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 of scholar

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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
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.
Essential California asked the bishop about his letter and the church’s role in the immigration debate while checking in with a couple of Catholic scholars who offered their perspectives. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 Many scholars of religion today share Smith's view of their field. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 Corn, an eminent scholar of American art, has been thinking about this question for five decades. — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Reuel Marc Gerecht is a resident scholar at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. — Reuel Marc Gerecht, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scholar

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of scholar was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing scholar

Rhymes for scholar

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Browse Nearby Words

schola cantorum
scholar
scholarch
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Cite this Entry

“Scholar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scholar. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

scholar

noun
schol·​ar ˈskäl-ər How to pronounce scholar (audio)
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
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