serious-minded

adjective

se·​ri·​ous-mind·​ed ˌsir-ē-əs-ˈmīn-dəd How to pronounce serious-minded (audio)
Synonyms of serious-mindednext
: having a serious disposition or trend of thought
serious-mindedly adverb
serious-mindedness noun

Examples of serious-minded 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.
But a bigger problem is that his earnest, hard-working performance can’t help but utilize the same tools now familiar from much less serious-minded contexts. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025 Gore then spent eight years earning a reputation as a smart, serious-minded governing partner to Clinton. — Time, 3 Nov. 2025 Inside, serious-minded speakers compete with bursts of music and chanting from neighboring pavilions. — Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2025 Despite decades of asking them in online forums, on social media and to search engines, humans still seem to have an infinite supply of these less-than-serious-minded queries. — Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for serious-minded

Word History

First Known Use

1694, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of serious-minded was in 1694

Rhymes for serious-minded

See All Rhymes for serious-minded

Browse Nearby Words

seriously
serious-minded
seriousness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Serious-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serious-minded. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

serious-minded

adjective
se·​ri·​ous-mind·​ed
ˌsir-ē-ə-ˈsmīn-dəd
: having a serious disposition or trend of thought

More from Merriam-Webster on serious-minded

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for serious-minded

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