variants
also academical
1
as in educational
of or relating to schooling or learning especially at an advanced level
"If you spent more time in academic pursuits and less time in social ones, you could easily make good grades," the dean told Valerie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intellectual
very learned or educated but inexperienced in practical matters
academic thinkers who have no understanding of realpolitik
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in theoretic
existing only as an assumption or speculation
your arguments are merely academic—such a worst-case scenario is unlikely to ever occur
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in academe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of academic
Emma Tucker, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
With some systems reporting learning gains that effectively move students from the 50th to the 75th percentile, these tools can significantly boost a student’s academic profile.
—Gerald Bradshaw, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
Brian Chidester, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
For now, the situation for U.S. academics remains rife with uncertainty, with some Trump administration actions blocked by judges or fully or partially reversed within days.
—Bycatherine Offord, science.org, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for academic
Adjective
Protests inside and immediately outside academic buildings will now be banned.
—Emma Tucker, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
With some systems reporting learning gains that effectively move students from the 50th to the 75th percentile, these tools can significantly boost a student’s academic profile.
—Gerald Bradshaw, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
Federal agencies, leading academics and industry experts must all collaborate to thoroughly ensure AI deployments are ethical.
—Brian Chidester, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
For now, the situation for U.S. academics remains rife with uncertainty, with some Trump administration actions blocked by judges or fully or partially reversed within days.
—Bycatherine Offord, science.org, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for academic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for academic
Adjective
-
Nurturing Intellectual Curiosity Selective colleges consistently seek students who demonstrate intellectual vitality—a genuine enthusiasm for learning that extends beyond grade-seeking behavior.—
Dr. Aviva Legatt,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Dugin rails against the European Enlightenment, the intellectual root of modern rationalism and liberalism, and defines himself in the lineage of Counter-Enlightenment thinkers, such as Friedrich Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
His ideas have particularly struck a chord with readers who deal in aesthetics—artists, curators, designers, and architects—even though Han has not quite been embraced by philosophy academe.—
Kyle Chayka,
The New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2024
-
That points to a missed opportunity, because even a little self-reflection would reveal much in 21st-century academe that will one day look as repellent as the earlier bias against Jews.—
The Editorial Board,
WSJ,
13 Oct. 2022
Noun
-
Legal scholars have said there is little legal precedent for Trump's war on Big Law, which has created a chilling effect across the legal community, and most will certainly have a chilling effect on his opponents who will need legal representation against him.—
Alexander Mallin,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2025
-
On top of that, the Trump administration has detained some international scholars who have expressed support for Palestinian causes or criticized Israel over the war in Gaza.—
Tinbete Ermyas,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
There is a long running scholarly debate dedicated to answering this question, and there is certainly room for improvement in how aid is allocated and executed.—
Kevin Sabet,
Newsweek,
24 Mar. 2025
-
My scholarly research on the right to appeal explores how this process serves as a crucial safeguard in the country’s legal system.—
Cassandra Burke Robertson,
The Conversation,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This isn’t just theoretical—Ben & Jerry’s founders have openly discussed buying back the brand from Unilever.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
-
For them, a theoretical risk has already become an all too personal one.—
Ron Lieber,
New York Times,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Other founding principals include fellow academicians Andrei Shleifer and Robert Vishny.—
Charles Rotblut,
Forbes,
18 Dec. 2024
-
That committee was the brainchild of two men, William Rusher, the publisher of National Review, and his longtime collaborator, F. Clifton White, a lapsed and low-keyed academician from upstate New York.—
Neal B. Freeman,
National Review,
9 July 2024
Noun
-
Subsequent chapters explore great bookmen of the Renaissance, from the Florentine tradesman Vespasiano da Bisticci and the Flemish illuminator Simon Bening to the English antiquarian Sir Robert Cotton — manuscript obsessives all.—
Bruce Holsinger,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2023
-
In the 1970s and ’80s, a flamboyant Texas bookman and one-time president of the ABAA named John Jenkins made money selling stolen and forged items to libraries and collectors.—
Travis McDade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 Aug. 2020
Adjective
-
Listen to this article An Aurora seventh grader achieved a scholastic twofer last week, winning Denver’s regional science fair and the Colorado state spelling bee in a six-day span.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
The Denver Post,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Sanders won the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is given to the nation’s top quarterback who best exemplifies character, scholastic and athletic achievement.—
Ryan Canfield,
Fox News,
19 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Academic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/academic. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share