Renaissance man

American  

noun

1. a cultured man of the Renaissance who was knowledgeable, educated, or proficient in a wide range of fields.

2. (sometimes lowercase) a present-day man who has acquired profound knowledge or proficiency in more than one field.

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Renaissance man British  

noun

1. a man of any period who has a broad range of intellectual interests

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Renaissance man Cultural  

1. An outstandingly versatile, well-rounded person. The expression alludes to such Renaissance figures as Leonardo da Vinci, who performed brilliantly in many different fields.

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Etymology

Origin of Renaissance man

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Through him, we are allowed a rare glimpse into the street-level experiences of a common Renaissance man.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

“He was a war hero and a Renaissance man that did math theorems while he was in Congress and who could recite Homer from memory,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

Charles is at once a Renaissance man and a Luddite.

From Salon • Nov. 21, 2024

Now, the composer Joseph Boulogne would be hailed as a Renaissance man: artist, athlete, intellectual, soldier.

From New York Times • Jan. 22, 2024

He was, in truth, more of a Renaissance man than a modern scientist, and still thought in terms of vital forces, an abstract conception of perfection and spirits that kept the body alive.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin