anti-intellectual

adjective

an·​ti-in·​tel·​lec·​tu·​al ˌan-tē-ˌin-tə-ˈlek-ch(ə-w)əl How to pronounce anti-intellectual (audio)
-ˈlek-shwəl,
ˌan-tī-
: opposing or hostile to intellectuals or to an intellectual view or approach
anti-intellectual noun
anti-intellectualism noun

Examples of anti-intellectual in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Americans who hold anti-intellectual views were more resistant to vaccinating against COVID in the early days of the pandemic; more likely to believe that climate change is not human-caused; and more likely to express misperceptions about macroeconomic performance. Matt Motta, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2024 Surprisingly, his American educational background did not cost him politically during Mao Zedong’s many anti-American and anti-intellectual campaigns. David Shambaugh, Foreign Affairs, 30 Nov. 2022 As the Cultural Revolution tears through China, young scientist Ye Wenjie (Zine Tseng) watches a mob beat her father to death in an anti-intellectual frenzy. Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 On and on the anti-intellectual drivel goes, parroted by scores more of MAGA Media personalities who spend their days peddling junk to their audiences. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 30 Jan. 2024 That puts Disney, a reputable brand that aims to be as inoffensive as possible, in the company of Fox News, the only other major television broadcaster that comes to mind that allows for the irresponsible and unchecked airing of such anti-intellectual drivel. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2024 And his attacks on science and education form part of a troubling anti-intellectual, right-wing populism that threatens liberal democracies worldwide. Eric D. Carter, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2023 But as the historian Richard Hofstadter noted at the time, the United States has long nurtured a powerful anti-intellectual strain—one that reached an especially vicious apotheosis during the 1950s. Beverly Gage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021 The mob is anti-intellectual, incurious, and authoritarian. David Harsanyi, National Review, 27 Apr. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anti-intellectual was in 1821

Dictionary Entries Near anti-intellectual

Cite this Entry

“Anti-intellectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-intellectual. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on anti-intellectual

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!