erudite

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(ĕr'yə-dīt', ĕr'ə-) pronunciation
adj.
Characterized by erudition; learned. See synonyms at learned.

[Middle English erudit, from Latin ērudītus, past participle of ērudīre, to instruct : ē-, ex-, ex- + rudis, rough, untaught; see rude.]

eruditely er'u·dite'ly adv.
eruditeness er'u·dite'ness n.

WORD HISTORY   One might like to be erudite but hesitate to be rude. This preference is supported by the etymological relationship between erudite and rude. Erudite comes from the Latin adjective ērudītus, "well-instructed, learned," from the past participle of the verb ērudīre, "to educate, train." The verb is in turn formed from the prefix ex-, "out, out of," and the adjective rudis, "untaught, untrained," the source of our word rude. The English word erudite is first recorded in a work possibly written before 1425 with the senses "instructed, learned." Erudite meaning "learned" is supposed to have become rare except in sarcastic use during the latter part of the 19th century, but the word now seems to have been restored to favor.


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adjective

    Having or showing profound knowledge and scholarship: learned, lettered, scholarly, wise1. See knowledge/ignorance.


adj

Definition: well-educated, cultured
Antonyms: common, ignorant, uncultured, uneducated

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erudite

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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: Very learned.

pronunciation An erudite fool is a greater fool than an ignorant fool. — Jean Baptiste Moliere (1622-1673).

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categories related to 'erudite'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to erudite, see:

  See crossword solutions for the clue Erudite.
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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - lærd, belæst

Nederlands (Dutch)
erudiet (geleerd)

Français (French)
adj. - érudit, savant

Deutsch (German)
adj. - gelehrt

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - πολυμαθής, ευρυμαθής

Italiano (Italian)
erudito

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - erudito

Русский (Russian)
эрудированный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - erudito

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - lärd

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
博学的

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 博學的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 박식한

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 学問のある, 博学な, 衒学的な
n. - 博学な人

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) واسع المعرفه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮ידען, מלומד, למדני, משכיל‬


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Mentioned in

Montagu, Lady Mary Wortley (English writer)