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erudite

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

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

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RELATED WORDS

knowledgeable, literate, scholarly, brainy, educated, highbrow, into, learned, lettered, savvy, studious, well-read, cultivated, scholastic

Nearby words

  1. erucic acid,
  2. eruciform,
  3. eruct,
  4. eructate,
  5. eructation,
  6. erudition,
  7. erumpent,
  8. erupt,
  9. eruption,
  10. eruptive

Origin of erudite

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin ērudītus, equivalent to ērud- (ē- e-1 + rud- unformed, rough, rude) + -ītus -ite2
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for erudite

British Dictionary definitions for erudite

erudite

/ (ˈɛrʊˌdaɪt) /

adjective

having or showing extensive scholarship; learned
Derived Formseruditely, adverberudition (ˌɛrʊˈdɪʃən) or eruditeness, noun

Word Origin for erudite

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

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).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper