intellectualist 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of intellectualistnext
as in intellectual
much given to learning and thinking a small cadre of intellectualist reformers who had no idea of the concerns of the common folk

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

intellectualist

2 of 2

noun

as in nerd
a person with strong intellectual interests being an intellectualist, he has little in common with the status-seeking philistines who live next door

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for intellectualist
  1. intellectual
  2. cerebral
  3. scholarly
Adjective
  • There is an intellectual curiosity and a real competitiveness.
    — Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Nerdy, overweight, and hyper-intellectual, Oscar never seems to fit in with his peers and is unlucky in love.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of intellectual
Adjective
  • This becomes clear when, moving on from ephemera, the exhibit turns cerebral.
    — J. Hoberman, ARTnews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The ten 8-10’ stand-alone episodes use cerebral, high-concept horror to tell stories about African women who triumph, overcome and subvert in surprising ways.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of cerebral
Adjective
  • The gift will support the expansion of the institution’s Asian art galleries, as well as acquisitions, scholarly research, and public programs on Sri Lankan art.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The money will support acquisitions, scholarly research, and public programming, focused primarily on South Asian and Sri Lankan art.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of scholarly
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Intellectualist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intellectualist. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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