erudite

[er-yoo-dahyt, er-oo-]

See more synonyms for erudite on Thesaurus.com

adjective

characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly: an erudite professor; an erudite commentary.

Origin of erudite

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin ērudītus, equivalent to ērud- (ē- e-¹ + rud- unformed, rough, rude) + -ītus -ite²

Related formser·u·dite·ly, adverber·u·dite·ness, nounnon·er·u·dite, adjectivenon·er·u·dite·ly, adverbnon·er·u·dite·ness, nounun·er·u·dite, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for erudite

Contemporary Examples

The gentle, erudite soul within a body the public considered an oddity is the contrast at the heart of “The Elephant Man.”
The True Story of ‘The Elephant Man’
Russell Saunders
November 3, 2014
Patricia Clarkson gets to show off both as the woman who becomes fascinated with the erudite monster.
Fall Broadway Preview: 'This Is Our Youth,' Bradley Cooper as ‘The Elephant Man,' and More
Janice Kaplan
September 11, 2014
Erudite is trying to wrestle control of the government away from Abnegation via nefarious schemes.
Exclusive: Shailene Woodley On ‘Divergent,’ J. Law, and Why She Turned Down ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’
Marlow Stern
March 7, 2014
But unlike Bloom and Eagleton, his books have been, while erudite and incisive, unashamedly populist.
John Sutherland‘s Enjoyable Little History of Literature
Malcolm Forbes
November 29, 2013
That is the persuasive central argument of American Zion, the erudite new book by Eran Shalev.
Why Is American Politics So Religious and Divisive?
Jordan Michael Smith
March 30, 2013

Historical Examples

And the method of manufacture is then explained by the erudite doctor.
Storyology
Benjamin Taylor
The gift of languages was one which the erudite doctor did not possess.
Poisoned Air
Sterner St. Paul Meek
Like Dr. Schliemann he was no erudite savant, but an enthusiast with an eye for likely sites.
The Clyde Mystery
Andrew Lang
An erudite spirit truly, and an eloquent pen; yet he refines too much.
Alroy
Benjamin Disraeli
Instances are abundant of erudite rabbis tormented by their wives.
Jewish Literature and Other Essays
Gustav Karpeles

British Dictionary definitions for erudite

erudite

adjective

having or showing extensive scholarship; learned

Derived Formseruditely, adverberudition (ˌɛrʊˈdɪʃən) or eruditeness, noun

Word Origin

C15: from Latin ērudītus, from ērudīre to polish, from ex- 1 + rudis unpolished, rough

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for erudite

adj.

early 15c., from Latin eruditus, past participle of erudire "to educate, teach, instruct, polish," literally "to bring out of the rough," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + rudis "unskilled, rough, unlearned" (see rude).

erudite

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}erudite

Examples from the Web for erudite

Contemporary Examples

The gentle, erudite soul within a body the public considered an oddity is the contrast at the heart of “The Elephant Man.”

Patricia Clarkson gets to show off both as the woman who becomes fascinated with the erudite monster.

Erudite is trying to wrestle control of the government away from Abnegation via nefarious schemes.

But unlike Bloom and Eagleton, his books have been, while erudite and incisive, unashamedly populist.

That is the persuasive central argument of American Zion, the erudite new book by Eran Shalev.

Historical Examples

And the method of manufacture is then explained by the erudite doctor.

The gift of languages was one which the erudite doctor did not possess.

Like Dr. Schliemann he was no erudite savant, but an enthusiast with an eye for likely sites.

An erudite spirit truly, and an eloquent pen; yet he refines too much.

Instances are abundant of erudite rabbis tormented by their wives.

erudite

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for erudite

adj.

Origin of erudite