erudition
Americannoun
Usage
What is erudition? Erudition is knowledge obtained through study or research, as in Students gain erudition through reading and studying. Erudition is similar to such words as knowledge, learning, or scholarship. However, erudition is often used to mean that a person specifically acquired some kind of profound knowledge by extensively reading books, researching reports, or studying manuscripts. For this reason, erudition is typically used to refer to knowledge of topics such as theology or linguistics rather than math or physical sciences.Erudition comes from the adjective erudite, which describes something that is full of knowledge or that is scholarly.Example: The monk was known for his wisdom and erudition, having read every book in the monastery’s 1,000-year-old library.
Related Words
See learning.
Other Word Forms
- eruditional adjective
- nonerudition noun
Etymology
Origin of erudition
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin ērudītiōn- (stem of ērudītiō ) “an instruction.” See erudite, -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Spier reviews his portfolio with an erudition that comes from an investor whose clock is ticking.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
His astonishing erudition encouraged him to tread where few playwrights before him had dared to go.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2025
There is a problem, though, with prolixity and erudition.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025
“So, we thought Justice Chandrachud would use his erudition and brilliant mind to do a lot of good for the citizens. But he has been disappointing,” she said.
From BBC • Nov. 11, 2024
There is a big difference between a coherent passage of writing and a flaunting of one’s erudition, a running journal of one’s thoughts, or a published version of one’s notes.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
