scholar

Pursuer of knowledge

A scholar is someone devoted to learning and study, especially in academic fields.

The word suggests deep expertise and serious intellectual work: a Shakespeare scholar, a biblical scholar.

Scholar can also mean a student, particularly one who holds a scholarship: Rhodes scholars study at Oxford.

Scholarly describes work characterized by careful research and analysis.

erudition

learned

Having much knowledge

eruditeProfoundly knowledgeable
knowledgeableHaving extensive information
well-readKnowledgeable through literature

literate · intellectual · polymath · savant · sage · wise · bookish · studious · lettered · cultivated

academic

professor

Senior university teacher

universityHigher education institution
tenureProtected employment status
academiaHigher education community

lecturer · faculty · department · dean · provost · doctorate · postdoctoral · sabbatical · collegian · academician

discipline

humanities

Study of culture

classicsWorks of lasting value
philologyStudy of historical texts
theologyStudy of the divine

historian · philosopher · jurist · scientist · Egyptologist · medievalist · orientalist · Arabist · Hellenist · canonist

student

undergraduate

Degree-seeking college student

graduateOne who earned degree
doctoralOf advanced academic study
fellowshipMutual goodwill among companions

stipend · bursary · tuition · Rhodes · Fulbright · grantee · award · merit · honors · valedictorian

tradition

Confucian

Of Kong Qiu's teachings

IslamicOf the Muslim religion
madrasaMuslim religious school
yeshivaJewish religious study institution

monastery · scribe · manuscript · commentary · annotation · gloss · exegesis · hermeneutics · scriptural · rabbinical

research

thesis

Academic argument requiring defense

dissertationExtended academic treatise
publicationIssued written material
journalRecord of daily events

citation · bibliography · monograph · methodology · hypothesis · findings · empirical · qualitative · quantitative · fieldwork

Categories

achieversachiever, high achiever, overachiever, go-getter, striver
expertsexperts, expert, specialist, masters, specialists
Nerdsnerd, geek, dork, dweeb, brainiac
public figurespolitician, celebrity, activist, journalist, pundit
scholarsprofessors, professor, researcher, researchers, academic
talented peopleprodigy, genius, virtuoso, maestro, savant

Opposites

intellectual capacity and knowledge

scholarignoramus

Profoundly uninformed person

dunce · fool · idiot · imbecile · moron

dedication to learning and expertise

scholardilettante

Superficial pursuer of arts

amateur · dabbler · layperson · layman · novice

relationship to formal education

scholardropout

One who quits early

nonstudent · illiterate · truant · inexpert · nonexpert

Phrases

college scholarshipsMoney awarded for education
scholarly papersFormal research publications
scholarly articlePeer-reviewed research publication
religious scholarExpert in faith traditions
athletic scholarshipTuition aid for competitors
sports scholarshipsUniversity funding for athletes

Family

scholarship, scholarly, scholars, scholastic, scholarships, unscholarly, scholastics, scholastically, scholasticism

Familiarity: Top 100,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G