1
as in cerebral
much given to learning and thinking
as the daughter of college professors, she's used to being around intellectual people
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2
as in internal
of or relating to the mind
intellectual pursuits such as reading and studying
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3
as in educational
of or relating to schooling or learning especially at an advanced level
research that shows that people from very intellectual backgrounds are happiest with spouses having comparable educations
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as in nerd
a person with strong intellectual interests
discovered that in politics a reputation for being an intellectual was regarded as a liability
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intellectual
Becca Longmire, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
That paved the way for huge intellectual developments in the 1600s and 1700s — a very exciting time for brainy Europeans.
—Sigal Samuel, Vox, 6 Jan. 2025
Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
The ubiquitous New Yorker tote became the uniform of the chic intellectual, and Trader Joe’s reusable bags (though around since the late ’70s) are a badge of brand loyalty.
—Boutayna Chokrane, WIRED, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for intellectual 
Adjective
We are dedicated to academic excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and the intellectual, creative, ethical and leadership development of our students.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
That paved the way for huge intellectual developments in the 1600s and 1700s — a very exciting time for brainy Europeans.
—Sigal Samuel, Vox, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
Some of the most famous intellectuals who benefited and enriched the Committee’s discussions are Leo Strauss (1899–1973), Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), Allan Bloom (1930-1992), and Saul Bellow (1915-2005): political philosophers, theorists, novelists, and a classicist.
—Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
The ubiquitous New Yorker tote became the uniform of the chic intellectual, and Trader Joe’s reusable bags (though around since the late ’70s) are a badge of brand loyalty.
—Boutayna Chokrane, WIRED, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for intellectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intellectual
Adjective
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High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) is a severe and rare altitude sickness.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Apollo 11 Celebrating the historic moon landing, this strain delivers strong cerebral effects that help alleviate stress and moderate pain.—
Tribune Content Agency,
The Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Kayak’s analysis examined its internal search data between May 1 and Oct. 31, 2024, for travel in 2025.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
18 Jan. 2025
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An Egyptian official said an Israeli delegation from the military and Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency arrived Friday in Cairo to discuss the reopening of the crossing.—
SAMY MAGDY,
arkansasonline.com,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Henry Cavill, noted Warhammer nerd, to star in and produce Warhammer 40,000 series at Amazon Then a father-to-be, Cavill shared a snap of himself in front of the baby's crib, while asking his followers for fatherly advice.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
19 Jan. 2025
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Older internet vernacular involved quoting memes or making references to nerd culture, but brain rot offers strange sentence constructions and rhetorical tics with a broad range of possible applications.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Other academic analyses, most released as preprint studies that have not yet been peer-reviewed, have reported similarly impressive results.—
Lauren Leffer,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2025
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Department Closures And Consolidations Several academic departments and programs will be combined, downsized, and/or eliminated.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Lastly, with Mercury slipping into dreamy Pisces on the 14th, the cosmos encourages you to slow down and reflect on your inner world.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
19 Jan. 2025
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The outer layer’s crunch is also good contrast to the inner layer’s fluffiness.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Wagner would be a sleepless highbrow’s favorite; the long, lush, unbroken lines of music share with the white-noise hum of the air-conditioner or the thrum of the painstaking lecture the quality of being absorbing without offering undue eventfulness.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
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Richie Grainge herself has evolved her stylistic approach from an ostentatious Los Angeleno verve into a look that’s more low-key highbrow.—
Nick Remsen,
CNN,
13 Feb. 2024
Adjective
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Hudson’s bandmates—the guitarist Robbie Robertson, the drummer Levon Helm, the bassist Rick Danko, and the pianist and multi-instrumentalist Richard Manuel—often described him as scholarly, nimble, and discerning, a professor type at loose in a scene dominated by beautiful buffoons.—
Amanda Petrusich,
The New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2025
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Laymon said the suffrage monument on the Mall will draw on the diverse perspectives of its board and scholarly advisers, as well as the public.—
Jennifer Schuessler,
New York Times,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Williamson said earlier this week that his hamstring is completely healed, but his mental state remains a work in progress.—
oregonlive,
oregonlive,
13 Apr. 2023
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Sign up That Torrance pushed Vial and Eduardo to such mental anguish does not surprise immigrant-justice advocates.—
María Inés Taracena,
The New Republic,
12 Apr. 2023
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Cite this Entry
“Intellectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intellectual. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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