savant

American  

[sa-vahnt, sav-uhnt, sa-vahn] / sæˈvɑnt, ˈsæv ənt, saˈvɑ̃ /

noun

plural

savants

1. a person of profound or extensive learning; learned scholar.

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savant British  

/ ˈsævənt, savɑ̃ /

noun

1. a man of great learning; sage

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Other Word Forms

• savante noun

Etymology

Origin of savant

1710–20; < French: man of learning, scholar, old present participle of savoir to know ≪ Latin sapere to be wise; sapient

Example Sentences

Those books imagine Holmes as a 14-year-old crime-solving savant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Young Jim showed an early gift for mathematics that bordered on savant territory.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 15, 2025

He’s a ridiculously proportioned savant who dribbles like a point guard, blocks shots like a center and puts up stat lines matched only by Hall-of-Famers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 21, 2025

He was a media savant who leveraged his views into the algorithms of young people, particularly men, who have been historically reluctant to engage in politics.

From Salon • Sep. 11, 2025

Lightning Girl, your ordinary, everyday savant cleaning lady.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty