academic 1 of 2

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

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2
as in intellectual
very learned or educated but inexperienced in practical matters academic thinkers who have no understanding of realpolitik

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3

academic

2 of 2

noun

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
Adjective
Unfortunately, adult learners face many barriers on their path toward a degree — academic, emotional, and financial. Lauren Smith, Orlando Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2025 And independent institutions like the National Academy of Sciences equivalent in Hungary, which is this 200-year-old institution, has this amazing tradition of achievement and intellect and academic contributions, becomes no longer independent. Milton Guevara, NPR, 25 Feb. 2025
Noun
The working group includes academics, members of nongovernmental organizations such as the Environmental Defense Fund – local government and regulated industries, such as the American Petroleum Institute. Jenni Shearston, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025 The academics estimated that the cost of treating illnesses connected to this pollution was valued at $1.5 billion in 2023, up 20 percent from a year earlier. Ars Technica, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for academic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for academic
Adjective
  • Many companies unknowingly create environments that discourage intellectual exploration, leading employees to disengage from problem-solving and creative thinking.
    Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
  • McKinley displayed plenty of intellectual flexibility, manifested not just in his Hawaii and Cuba maneuverings but also in his willingness to alter his longtime advocacy of high protective tariffs and craft a new policy more in keeping with a changing world.
    Robert W. Merry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 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 question what will happen to the Fed if the Supreme Court says independent agencies are unconstitutional.
    Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 4 Mar. 2025
  • The Department Of Education Is Already Being Dismantled, Impacting Student Loan Operations Most legal scholars agree that Trump cannot simply eliminate the Department of Education through executive action.
    Adam S. Minsky, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The firm also is known for its academic research and scholarly publications.
    Anthony DeMarco, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
  • All this has left many faculty members feeling beside the point, especially in pursuits like chemistry, classics, English, government, or law—five scholarly fields that together produced every Harvard president of the twentieth century.
    Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Innovation should be practical and actionable, not just theoretical.
    Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Here's How To Remove Toxic 'Forever Chemicals' The Next Steps for Finding Answers Scientists have identified several theoretical ways that microplastics could contribute to cancer.
    Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 7 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
  • 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
  • Golden Triangle administers the scholarships in cooperation with Mount Dora Community Trust. Award considerations include scholastic ability, responsibility toward education, financial need and includes a special emphasis on community service.
    Orlando Sentinel Staff, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Academic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/academic. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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