scholar

noun

schol·​ar ˈskä-lər 

1

: a person who attends a school or studies under a teacher : pupil

2

a

: a person who has done advanced study in a special field

b

: a learned person

3

: a holder of a scholarship

Synonyms of scholar

• teacher
• sage
• pundit
• savant
• wizard

Examples of scholar in a Sentence

She's a renowned scholar of African-American history.

scholars have long debated whether there is ever such a thing as a truly selfless act

Recent Examples on the Web

Named after the renowned African American artist and scholar, the Driskell Prize honors outstanding contributions to the field of African American art and has been presented by the museum annually since 2005. —News Desk, Artforum, 27 May 2026

To some scholars of Christianity, such framing undermines some of Jesus' core ethical teachings. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 May 2026

This interpretation has been reinforced by many scholars of McLuhan’s work. —Brian A. Cogan, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May 2026

As religious studies scholar Jeremy Posadas notes, that includes modern Christian thought, which often treats work as an essential part of being human. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 26 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English scoler, from Old English scolere & Anglo-French escoler, from Medieval Latin scholaris, from Late Latin, of a school, from Latin schola school

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing scholar

• Rhodes scholar

Rhymes for scholar

• caller
• choler
• collar
• crawler
• dollar
• faller
• haller
• hauler
• holler
• smaller
• squalor
• taller

Kids Definition

scholar

noun

schol·​ar ˈskäl-ər 

1

: a person who attends a school or studies under a teacher : pupil

2

a

: a person who has done advanced study in a special area

b

: a learned person

3

: a holder of a scholarship

scholarly adjective