erudite
ER-yoo-dyte
/ˈer.ʊ.daɪt/
Having or showing great knowledge or learning; scholarly.
Emphasizes deep, wide-ranging knowledge gained from extensive reading and research.
The story behind the word. Derived from Latin 'e-' (out of) and 'rudis' (rude, unpolished, raw). Literally, an erudite person is someone who has been brought 'out of the rough' state into refinement through study.
Word relationships
- cultured: Erudite implies formal academic scholarship, while cultured implies refined taste in art and music.
- ignorant: Ignorant means lacking knowledge or education.
Commonly confused with
- intelligent: Intelligent refers to mental capability, while erudite refers to accumulated scholarly knowledge.
Word family
- erudition (noun): Profound scholarly knowledge.
Collocations
- erudite scholar
- erudite discourse
- erudite treatise
Example sentences
- "The professor was an erudite scholar whose lectures drew students from around the world." Academic profile
Memory hook
E-RUDITE: Removing the RUDE / rough ignorance through study! Polished out of rough ignorance.
When not to use
Do not use for simple common sense or superficial street smarts.
Fun facts
- 'Rude' and 'erudite' are etymological cousins through the root rudis!
Related words
Explore more words
polymath, intellectual, connoisseur, scholarship, eloquent, expertise
Also appears in
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