polymath

noun

poly·​math ˈpä-lē-ˌmath 

: a person of encyclopedic learning

polymath adjective

or polymathic

ˌpä-lē-ˈma-thik 

polymathy

pə-ˈli-mə-thē  ˈpä-lə-ˌma-thē 

noun

Examples of polymath in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

He’d been invited to a brainstorm convened by Nathan Myhrvold, a polymath inventor. —Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026

Lambert's problem was first posed all the way back in the 1700s by the Swiss polymath Johann Heinrich Lambert, who pondered how to find the optimal trajectory between two moving objects. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 19 May 2026

In fact, the German naturalist and polymath has been described as the person with more species – from penguins and monkeys to an orchid – and places named after him than any other human. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2026

That suspect is the reclusive polymath Nick Szabo who ticks all of the same boxes as Back and whose initials are conveniently the inverse of Satoshi Nakamoto. —Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Greek polymathēs very learned, from poly- + manthanein to learn — more at mathematical

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for polymath

• tablecloth
• broadcloth
• cheesecloth
• loincloth
• neckcloth
• oilcloth
• sackcloth
• washcloth
• zeroth
• broth
• cloth
• doth