scholar

noun

schol·​ar ˈskä-lər How to pronounce scholar (audio)
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

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 Local Coca-Cola scholar Saratoga High School senior Zeyneb Kaya was named a national 2024 Coca-Cola scholar, according to a press release from the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District. Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 Some Chinese establishment scholars urge caution about taking on the United States in a time of intense international turmoil. Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Those scholars dated the sword to between 850 and 975, concluding the weapon once belonged to a Viking. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024 Sagittarius: November 22 – December 21 Sagittarians are the seekers, wanderers, sages, and scholars of the Zodiac. Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024 Durkin, a scholar of slavery and the African diaspora, traces them to communities in Alabama established by the formerly enslaved, such as Africatown and Gee’s Bend, and finds in their stories antecedents for the Harlem Renaissance and the civil-rights movement. The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Some scholars, however, consider these numbers underestimates — an analysis by psychologists Will Gervais and Maxine B. Najle suggests the true count is closer to 26%. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 And in interviews with state media, Wu quoted Mencius, a Chinese philosopher, casting himself as a scholar concerned with China's national interest. Associated Press, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 As many legal scholars have pointed out, this is a highly unusual case, and likely a weak one. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scholar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of scholar was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near scholar

Cite this Entry

“Scholar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scholar. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scholar

noun
schol·​ar ˈskäl-ər How to pronounce scholar (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on scholar

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