scholar

American  

[skol-er] / ˈskɒl ər /

noun

• scholars
  plural

1. a learned or erudite person, especially one who has profound knowledge of a particular subject.

   Synonyms:

   savant

2. a student; pupil.

3. a student who has been awarded a scholarship.

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scholar British  

/ ˈskɒlə /

noun

1. a learned person, esp in the humanities

2. a person, esp a child, who studies; pupil

3. a student of merit at an educational establishment who receives financial aid, esp from an endowment given for such a purpose

4. a school pupil

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Synonym Usage

See pupil ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonscholar
  noun
• scholarliness
  noun
• nonscholarly
  adjective
• scholarless
  adjective
• scholarly
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• scholars
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of scholar

First recorded before 1000; from Late Latin scholāris, equivalent to Latin schol(a) school ¹ + -āris -ar ¹; replacing Middle English scoler(e), Old English scolere, from Late Latin, as above

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Explanation

Someone who learns is a scholar, though the word also means someone with a lot of knowledge in one subject. If you know a lot about books, you could be called a literary scholar. It doesn't take a Latin scholar to understand the word scholar. It probably reminds you of school, scholastic, and scholarship. That's because they all share the Latin root schola which means school. A scholar in the academic sense usually has his or her area of specialty in the humanities as opposed to the sciences.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scholar scholars

Fleming, was a literary scholar who, in his spare time, put together three books about dramatic baseball contests of yore by artfully stitching together contemporary newspaper accounts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Sipkova is a postdoctoral scholar, while Klepac is a research scientist.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

In Beatles scholar Kevin Howlett’s detailed account of the making of the album, presented here in a tastefully illustrated 88-page hardback book, one of the unsung heroes of the record is Hazel Yarwood.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

As a legal scholar researching the evolution of modern presidential clemency, I have reviewed every individual pardon and commutation granted by U.S. presidents since 1989, spanning seven administrations, from George H.W.

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026

It was an ancient Greek scholar named Archimedes who first shouted “Eureka!”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

When it comes to Moudawana reform, she would have to face the country's religious scholars, who are mostly men.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

And there are a number of other constitutional concerns scholars have raised about the structure of H.B.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

Artificial intelligence is helping non-specialists unlock the secrets of historical sources, a trend described as a "turning point" in a field previously the preserve of scholars and dedicated hobbyists.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Most new research scholars in 2025 came from China, followed by South Korea and India.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Maria’s pioneering exploration offended many gentleman scholars at the time, however.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

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Related Words

• academic
• doctor
• intellectual
• philosopher
• professor
• scientist
• student
• teacher

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