savant

[ sa-vahnt, sav-uhnt; French sa-vahn ]

noun

, plural sa·vants [sa-, vahnts, sav, -, uh, nts, s, a, -, vahn].

1. a person of profound or extensive learning; learned scholar.

savant

/ ˈsævənt; savɑ̃ /

noun

1. a man of great learning; sage

Derived Forms

• ˈsavante, noun:feminine

Word History and Origins

Origin of savant¹

1710–20; < French: man of learning, scholar, old present participle of savoir to know ≪ Latin sapere to be wise; sapient

Word History and Origins

Origin of savant¹

C18: from French, from savoir to know, from Latin sapere to be wise; see sapient

Example Sentences

JD Vance is a brilliant savant, according to some, while other headlines call him an idiot and leave out the “savant.”

From Salon

For the sibling pop savants, work and family have long been intertwined.

From Los Angeles Times

For these two pop savants, work and family have long been intertwined.

From Los Angeles Times

Bell, 82, an acting savant who broke into cinema’s foreground in his sixties, explains that the pages are occupied by a series of questions about the character.

From Los Angeles Times

To be clear, Clark is a skilled hardcourt savant from Iowa.

From Seattle Times