erudite

American  

[er-yoo-dahyt, er-oo-] / ˈɛr yʊˌdaɪt, ˈɛr ʊ- /

adjective

1. characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly.

   an erudite professor; an erudite commentary.

   Synonyms:

   sapient, wise, knowledgeable, educated

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erudite British  

/ ˌɛrʊˈdɪʃən, ˈɛrʊˌdaɪt /

adjective

1. having or showing extensive scholarship; learned

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Other Word Forms

• eruditely adverb
• eruditeness noun
• erudition noun
• nonerudite adjective
• noneruditely adverb
• noneruditeness noun
• unerudite adjective

Etymology

Origin of erudite

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin ērudītus, equivalent to ērud(ē)- ( ē- intensive prefix + rud- “unformed, rough, rude”) + -ītus adjective suffix; e- ¹, rude, -ite ²

Example Sentences

Talent agents are seeking out the internet’s erudite elite, promising marketers access to niche and engaged audiences far from the blast of social media.

From The Wall Street Journal

The erudite and engaging historian Lincoln Paine unfolds our relationship to the aquatic planet for the past 5,000 years.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Smith is erudite and rigorous but also funny.

From The Wall Street Journal

In “The Mighty Continent,” he condenses a grand historical narrative into a conversational and erudite survey of a civilization that “invented the modern world.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Weir and the Dead largely avoided hard rock and retained their identity and popularity by blending blues, folk, roots and country with rock to create a smooth but erudite sound.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• knowledgeable
• literate
• scholarly