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Word-loving Homo sapiens will appreciate how much there is to know about savant. For one, savant comes ultimately from the Latin word sapere (“to be wise”) by way of Middle French, where savant is the present participle of savoir, meaning “to know.” Second, savant shares roots with the English words sapient (“possessing great wisdom”) and sage (“very wise”) (as well as Homo sapiens). Finally, the term is sometimes used to refer to a person who demonstrates extraordinary knowledge in a particular subject or has an extraordinary ability to perform a particular task (such as complex mathematics) but has more limited capacities in other areas.
Examples of savant in a Sentence
Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 3 Jan. 2025
Anduril is an up and coming military tech firm founded by 32-year old tech savant Palmer Luckey, who made his fortune by creating the Oculus virtual reality headset before moving into the world of weapons development.
—William Hartung, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
These social media savants represent new media in a variety of niches and with a wide range of content.
—Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 4 Dec. 2024
Reynolds, a marketing savant, and Lively hope the two very different films result in a Barbenheimer moment whereby both films become top of mind.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Aug. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Savant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/savant. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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savant
noun
from French savant, a form of the verb savoir "to know," from Latin sapere "to be wise, taste, have good taste" — related to insipid, sage entry 1
Medical Definition
savant
noun
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