erudition

[ er-yoo-dish-uhn, er-oo- ]

noun

1. knowledge acquired by study, research, etc.; learning; scholarship.

Other Words From

• eru·dition·al adjective
• noner·u·dition noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of erudition¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin ērudītiōn- (stem of ērudītiō ) “an instruction.” See erudite, -ion

Synonym Study

See learning.

Example Sentences

“So, we thought Justice Chandrachud would use his erudition and brilliant mind to do a lot of good for the citizens. But he has been disappointing,” she said.

From BBC

Solomon, not well-known today, was a Harvard-educated bon vivant known for his erudition in new art’s European history.

From Los Angeles Times

The language in these letters is just remarkable, it's two men in love with their own sense of erudition.

From Salon

While philosophers may opine about the recent solar eclipse with far more erudition than I, let me simply say that it’s doubtful we took the hint.

From Salon

Osgood seemingly had an impossible act to follow, but with his folksy erudition and his slightly bookish, bow-tied style, he immediately clicked with viewers who continued to embrace the program as an unhurried TV magazine.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• refinement

More About Erudition

What is erudition?

Erudition is knowledge obtained through study or research, as in Students gain erudition through reading and studying. 

Erudition is similar to such words as knowledge, learning, or scholarship. However, erudition is often used to mean that a person specifically acquired some kind of profound knowledge by extensively reading books, researching reports, or studying manuscripts. For this reason, erudition is typically used to refer to knowledge of topics such as theology or linguistics rather than math or physical sciences.

Erudition comes from the adjective erudite, which describes something that is full of knowledge or that is scholarly.

Example: The monk was known for his wisdom and erudition, having read every book in the monastery’s 1,000-year-old library.

Where does erudition come from?

The first records of the word erudition come from around 1350. It ultimately comes from the Latin word ērudītiō, meaning “an instruction.” We often use the word erudition to refer to learning acquired through the self-instruction that comes from studying books.

Erudition is not a commonly used word. Instead you will hear people use words like knowledge, bookishness, or book smarts. Erudition is most likely to be used by someone with a big vocabulary or who wants to use a word to sound smart.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to erudition?

• eruditional (adjective)
• nonerudition (noun)

What are some synonyms for erudition?

• refinement
• knowledge
• learning
• scholarship
• learnedness

What are some words that share a root or word element with erudition? 

• erudite
• rude
• satisfaction

What are some words that often get used in discussing erudition?

• books
• study
• intelligent

How is erudition used in real life?

Erudition is not a common word. When it’s used, it’s often to show off or sound smart.

The bane of Indian scholarship: verbosity & the excessive quoting of authority is confused for erudition. Content & insight count for little

— Sanjeev Sanyal (@sanjeevsanyal) April 18, 2016

Erudition is the perfect word. You have to be erudite to know what it means.

— Whatifalthist (@whatifalthist) November 11, 2020

I met my neighbor who just turned 103 years old. It's great to see that she remains active and her speech matches her erudition.

— Francisco Díaz, DNP, GNP, CDCES (@FranciscoNPinG) November 17, 2009

Try using erudition!

Is erudition used correctly in the following sentence?

The rabbi credited his erudition to the many books he had read on Jewish scripture.