as in genius
formal
someone who knows a lot about many different things
She is rightly regarded as something of a polymath in her extensive knowledge of all the earth sciences.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
variants
or polymathic
as in erudite
Related Words
Dissimilar 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 polymath
Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 June 2025
Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration Is The New Superpower During the original Renaissance, polymaths like Leonardo da Vinci thrived by blending art, engineering, anatomy and imagination.
—David Henkin, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
In the past, polymaths became well versed in various disciplines and made important contributions to each.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 4 June 2025
Now polymaths may be setting the course of artificial intelligence going forward, and AI may even set the stage for a burst of polymath activity.
—Joe McKendrick, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polymath
Adjective
Think of Da Vinci and Franklin as notable polymaths (someone learned in multiple subjects).
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 June 2025
Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration Is The New Superpower During the original Renaissance, polymaths like Leonardo da Vinci thrived by blending art, engineering, anatomy and imagination.
—David Henkin, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
In the past, polymaths became well versed in various disciplines and made important contributions to each.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 4 June 2025
Now polymaths may be setting the course of artificial intelligence going forward, and AI may even set the stage for a burst of polymath activity.
—Joe McKendrick, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polymath
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polymath
Noun
-
There is no wild leap into genius on Something Beautiful.—
Armin Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
25 July 2025
-
The genius Wagenius was an active-duty US soldier stationed at bases in South Korea and Texas.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
Judge Arun Subramanian, an energetic erudite judge, set a tight schedule – the trial day started at 9 a.m. and ended at 3 p.m. most days.—
Kara Scannell,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
-
The choice of the erudite writer and talk show host said so much about who Apple saw as its target audience.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
11 June 2025
Noun
-
But the question remained: Why would one of music’s most acclaimed and elusive virtuosos take a high school gig from this kid at all?—
David Kushner,
Rolling Stone,
20 July 2025
-
An international accordion virtuoso will perform at 7:30 p.m. July 21 in the Normandy Room of the Elmhurst American Legion Post, 310 W. Butterfield Road, Elmhurst.—
Melinda Moore,
Chicago Tribune,
17 July 2025
Adjective
-
Qu is targeting less tech literate people than those who are vibe coding their way into big tech jobs; people who might want to use AI to start a yoga business or bakery, for example.—
Alexandra Sternlicht,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
-
Budgeting is an important part of being financially literate and managing your money well.—
Wendy Wisner,
Parents,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Much of Superman's second act is spent inside a 'pocket dimension' used by Lex Luthor and his LuthorCorp scientists and tech wizards.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
17 July 2025
-
The company announced a TV series based on all seven books about the boy wizard written by J.K. Rowling.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
This family journey deeply shaped Fisher’s lifelong scholarly drive to chronicle the struggles and the triumphs of Black communities in the American West.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
14 July 2025
-
Of course, the sort of collection that attracts scholarly attention tends toward the rare and precious rather than Izod alligators.—
Libby Buck
July 1,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Studies show that the best predictor of future academic skills is the quantity and quality of personal interactions between a child and their parent or caregiver.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Aug. 2025
-
Research must move beyond academic journals and into clinical care.—
Keita Franklin,
New York Daily News,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The trees sit interspersed with clumps of colorful succulents like aeonium, grasses, agaves and sages, among streams of river rock.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Aug. 2025
-
Not quite as flashy as a chartreuse or lime, but not quite as muted as sage, somewhere between.—
Emily Williams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Polymath.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polymath. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share