learned

American  

[lur-nid, lurnd] / ˈlɜr nɪd, lɜrnd /

adjective

1. having much knowledge; scholarly; erudite.

   learned professors.

2. connected or involved with the pursuit of knowledge, especially of a scholarly nature.

   a learned journal.

3. of or showing learning or knowledge; well-informed.

   learned in the ways of the world.

4. acquired by experience, study, etc..

   learned behavior.

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learned British  

/ ˈlɜːnɪd /

adjective

1. having great knowledge or erudition

2. involving or characterized by scholarship

3. (prenominal) a title applied in referring to a member of the legal profession, esp to a barrister

   my learned friend

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Other Word Forms

• half-learned
  adjective
• half-learnedly
  adverb
• learnedly
  adverb
• learnedness
  noun
• overlearned
  adjective
• overlearnedly
  adverb
• overlearnedness
  noun
• well-learned
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of learned

First recorded in 1300–50, learned is from the Middle English word lerned. See learn, -ed ²

Explanation

If you're learned (pronounced LUR-ned), you're highly educated, or you have or show a profound knowledge of some kind. The adjective learned comes from the verb learn. You can use it either to describe someone as having a lot of education, like the learned shopkeeper who used to tell you about the Trojan War while you picked out your candy, or to describe something that doesn't come naturally, but has to be learned (in which case it's pronounced LURND). If you reward your dog when she howls, then her howling will become a learned (LURND) behavior.

Example Sentences

And another Lone Star resident, a 36-year-old musician, has been delving into the extraterrestrial world since he learned about an incident not far from his hometown.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

Details of the probe couldn’t be learned, and a person familiar with the matter said it is unlikely to result in a DOJ lawsuit against any of the leagues.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

"This is also the day when Europe ... is showing that it has learned a lesson from history and that it is ready ... to shoulder a much greater responsibility for our security," Tusk added.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

I learned that the peaks are high, but it’s hard to tell just how wide the valleys are.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

Though he was a preacher’s son, it was at school where he learned to turn the other cheek.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• accomplished
• educated
• scholarly
• scientific
• studied
• well-educated