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erudite

American  
[er-yoo-dahyt, er-oo-] / ˈɛr yʊˌdaɪt, ˈɛr ʊ- /

adjective

  1. characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly.

    an erudite professor; an erudite commentary.
    Synonyms:
    sapient, wise, knowledgeable, educated
erudite British  
/ ˌɛrʊˈdɪʃən, ˈɛrʊˌdaɪt /

adjective

  1. having or showing extensive scholarship; learned

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • eruditely adverb
  • eruditeness noun
  • erudition noun
  • nonerudite adjective
  • noneruditely adverb
  • noneruditeness noun
  • unerudite adjective

Etymology

Origin of erudite

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin ērudītus, equivalent to ērud(ē)- ( ē- intensive prefix + rud- “unformed, rough, rude”) + -ītus adjective suffix; e- 1, rude, -ite 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Talent agents are seeking out the internet’s erudite elite, promising marketers access to niche and engaged audiences far from the blast of social media.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Mr. Smith is erudite and rigorous but also funny.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

The Pod Save America staff remain funny, erudite, and extremely online; the only qualifications necessary to be adept podcasters.

From Slate • Nov. 19, 2025

The first is Olympian, polymathic, erudite, antically funny, often beautiful, at times gross, at others incredibly romantic, never afraid to challenge or even confound, and unmistakably worked at.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

Then an erudite boy in a blue sweater shoves me.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.