1
as in cerebral
much given to learning and thinking
as the daughter of college professors, she's used to being around intellectual people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in internal
of or relating to the mind
intellectual pursuits such as reading and studying
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3
as in educational
of or relating to schooling or learning especially at an advanced level
research that shows that people from very intellectual backgrounds are happiest with spouses having comparable educations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in nerd
a person with strong intellectual interests
discovered that in politics a reputation for being an intellectual was regarded as a liability
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intellectual
Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
An important location for writers and artists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the 138-year-old destination today plays up its intellectual and artistic history with literary gatherings, poetry workshops and live music.
—Evan Rail, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Born in Poland in 1920, Karol Józef Wojtyła attended clandestine seminaries and frequented groups of intellectuals who met in secret to discuss ways of undermining Communism from within.
—Yvonnick Denoël, airmail.news, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Adjective
Completely banning them could erase meaningful conversations and intellectual exploration.
—Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
An important location for writers and artists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the 138-year-old destination today plays up its intellectual and artistic history with literary gatherings, poetry workshops and live music.
—Evan Rail, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
But the need to build remained a niche obsession until the Biden Administration, when some of the same intellectuals noticed that efforts to construct a green-energy infrastructure were foundering on the same opposition.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Born in Poland in 1920, Karol Józef Wojtyła attended clandestine seminaries and frequented groups of intellectuals who met in secret to discuss ways of undermining Communism from within.
—Yvonnick Denoël, airmail.news, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intellectual
Adjective
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Fellow Americans with measurable cerebral activity no doubt wonder about the sheer volume of high-level brainlessness that goes unreported.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2025
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Roberts was one of the greatest heels in wrestling history, known for his cerebral mind games, chilling promos, and in-ring mindset for the business.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Whether this occurred through external networking or internal conversations, matching the hiring department’s needs with a new team member can happen quicker than the job posting going live.—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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While it is sometimes said that lowercase deaf is an audiometric or medicalized term, such a definition does not adequately capture the internal diversity of the roughly eleven million deaf people in the United States.—
Mara Mills,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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At a time when nerds were getting their revenge, most of them wanted to be Chris Knight.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
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North Carolina failed to dazzle the recruiting/portal nerds.—
Bill Speros,
Boston Herald,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Williams’ academic performance, extracurricular leadership, community service learning and essay on the impact of military service on the family earned her the award.—
Lena Miano,
Arkansas Online,
6 Apr. 2025
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However, many people do not fully appreciate how academic inquiry, research, and scholarship are embedded within their daily lives.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For the study, the researchers drilled two-gram samples out of the inner walls of two vessel fragments excavated by Schliemann.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
1 Apr. 2025
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Said gravity-compensation device spins upon two axes: While an inner cage rotates through 360 degrees every 16 seconds, an outer cage spins in the opposite direction once every 60 seconds, forming a small seconds indicator at the bottom of the dial.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Deadline asks the Festival chief whether Series Mania is focused on the highbrow of the drama spectrum.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2025
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Wagner would be a sleepless highbrow’s favorite; the long, lush, unbroken lines of music share with the white-noise hum of the air-conditioner or the thrum of the painstaking lecture the quality of being absorbing without offering undue eventfulness.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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There is a long running scholarly debate dedicated to answering this question, and there is certainly room for improvement in how aid is allocated and executed.—
Kevin Sabet,
Newsweek,
24 Mar. 2025
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My scholarly research on the right to appeal explores how this process serves as a crucial safeguard in the country’s legal system.—
Cassandra Burke Robertson,
The Conversation,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Williamson said earlier this week that his hamstring is completely healed, but his mental state remains a work in progress.—
oregonlive,
oregonlive,
13 Apr. 2023
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Sign up That Torrance pushed Vial and Eduardo to such mental anguish does not surprise immigrant-justice advocates.—
María Inés Taracena,
The New Republic,
12 Apr. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Intellectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intellectual. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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