idiot savant
[ id-ee-uht sa-vahnt, suh-vant, sav-uhnt; French ee-dyoh sa-vahn ]
noun,plural id·i·ot sa·vants, French id·i·ots sa·vants [ee-dyoh sa-vahn]. /i dyoʊ saˈvɑ̃/. Psychiatry.
a mentally defective person with an exceptional skill or talent in a special field, as a highly developed ability to play music or to solve complex mathematical problems mentally at great speed.
Origin of idiot savant
11925–30; <French: literally, learned idiot
Words Nearby idiot savant
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for idiot savant
idiot savant
/ (ˈiːdjəʊ sæˈvɑ̃, ˈɪdɪət ˈsævənt) /
nounplural idiots savants (ˈiːdjəʊ sæˈvɑ̃) or idiot savants
a person with learning difficulties who performs brilliantly at some specialized intellectual task, such as giving the day of the week for any calendar date past or present
Origin of idiot savant
1C19: from French: knowledgeable idiot
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
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