scientist
noun
scientist
American
[sahy-uhn-tist]
/ ˈsaɪ ən tɪst /
noun
-
scientists
plural
Scientist
1
British
/ ˈsaɪəntɪst /
noun
-
Christian Science Christ as supreme spiritual healer
-
short for Christian Scientist See Christian Scientist
scientist
2
British
/ ˈsaɪəntɪst /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of scientist
Explanation
A scientist is a person with some kind of knowledge or expertise in any of the sciences, like biology or chemistry. See that guy in the white lab coat wearing pocket protectors and experimenting with chemicals? He’s definitely a scientist. The word science comes from the Latin, scientia, which means "knowledge." The sciences are branches of knowledge about the world that derive from repeated experiments. A scientist is any person with an interest in the sciences, from amateurs to professionals. A curious high school student interested in seeing what happens when he slips vinegar into his best friend's can of soda could be considered a kind of scientist!
Vocabulary lists containing scientist
Occupations
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"Hitching a Ride"
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 4
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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.
See Examples For:
“This truly takes a village,” said Vanessa Bailey, JPL instrument scientist for the coronagraph sensor that will aid in the search for other worlds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Its chief, Demis Hassabis, stepped aside last month to become chairman of Google DeepMind and chief scientist of Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Aschenbrenner’s social circle came to include some of the company’s most influential figures, including its chief scientist Jared Kaplan, who mingled in the crowds at a July 4 party at his mansion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Curry first put his stamp on the character of the riotous scientist on stage in the upstairs theatre at London's Royal Court in 1973.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
“I’m Tamika’s mother, Mrs. Smith. I’ve heard so much about you. You’re the great scientist T always talks about.”
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
According to Elisabetta Iorfida, ESA's Swarm Mission Scientist, the Pacific reversal challenges the idea that stable westward circulation dominates the outer core.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
Alphabet’s shares fell 4.1% to $360.13 after the Google parent said veteran Chief Scientist Jeff Dean, a key driver of its AI strategy, was leaving to found a startup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
One math professor, Misha Rudnev at the University of Bristol, told New Scientist: “This is a problem that I didn’t expect to see solved in my lifetime.”
From Slate ● Jun. 22, 2026
In another blog post on Monday, Altman and Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki said OpenAI is currently building an automated AI researcher.
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
The crash made Penelope cry out, and caused the Cake-Sniffing Scientist Postal Dodo Ghosts to look up from their experimenting.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Hundreds of people have been confirmed dead after Wednesday's flash floods, which scientists believe were triggered by a glacier collapsing in the Himalayan border region with Tibet.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Roman will help scientists measure that small clumping for the first time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Styling himself an outlaw, Mr. Hoser would go on to fight for the rights of snakes and amateur scientists alike, becoming one of what Mr. St. George calls the “most prolific” taxonomists to ever live.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Those differences could help scientists develop more precise strategies for wildlife management and conservation.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
It is imperative that scientists learn how to describe their work to the larger world.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
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.
