Meanings
plural eruditions
- countableuncountableProfound knowledge acquired from learning and scholarship.
As a philosopher he was superior to Lenin in all respects: erudition, knowledge of his subject, independence of thought, and skill in formulating problems.
1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 4341 more example
Professor Archimedes Q. Porter was their only immediate anxiety. Fully assured in his own mind that his daughter had been picked up by a passing steamer, he gave over the last vestige of apprehension concerning her welfare, and devoted his giant intellect solely to the consideration of those momentous and abstruse scientific problems which he considered the only proper food for thought in one of his erudition.
1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 179Synonyms: knowledge, information, learning, lore, scholarship, scholarism
- countableuncountableThe refinement, polish and knowledge that education confers.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounProfound knowledge acquired from learning and scholarship.
More synonyms by meaning
nounprofound scholarly knowledge
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latineruditio“an instructing, learning, erudition”
- Middle Frenchérudition
- Englisherudition
First attested in the 15th Century. From Middle French érudition, from Latin eruditio (“an instructing, learning, erudition”), from erudire (“to instruct, educate, cultivate”, literally “free from rudeness”), from e (“out”) + rudis (“rude”). By surface analysis, erudite + -ion.
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bengali এলেম
- এলেম (elem)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Bulgarian еруди́ция
- еруди́ция (erudícija)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Chinese Mandarin 博學 /博学, 學識 /学识
- 博學 /博学 (bóxué)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- 學識 /学识 (xuéshí)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- 學問 /学问 (xuéwèn)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- 學問 /学问 (xuéwen)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Danish lærdom, erudition
- lærdomprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- eruditionprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Dutch geleerdheid, eruditie
- geleerdheidprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- eruditieprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Finnish oppineisuus
- oppineisuusprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
French érudition
- éruditionprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
German Belesenheit, Gelehrtheit
- Belesenheitprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- Gelehrtheitprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- Bildungprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- Gelehrsamkeitprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Greek πολυμάθεια, λογιότητα
- πολυμάθεια (polymátheia)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- λογιότητα (logiótita)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- σοφία (sofía)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Hebrew אוֹרְיָנוּת
- אוֹרְיָנוּת (oryanút)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Hungarian műveltség, tanultság
- műveltségprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- tanultságprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Japanese 博学
- 博学 (hakugaku)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Korean 박학
- 박학 (bakhak)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Latin doctrīna, ērudītiō
- doctrīnaprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- ērudītiōprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Polish erudycja, oczytanie
- erudycjaprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- oczytanieprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Portuguese erudição
- erudiçãoprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Romanian erudiție
- erudițieprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Russian эруди́ция, начи́танность
- эруди́ция (erudícija)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- начи́танность (načítannostʹ)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- у́мственный бага́ж (úmstvennyj bagáž)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Spanish erudición
- erudiciónprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Swedish bildning, beläsenhet
- bildningprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- beläsenhetprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- lärdomprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- eruditionprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- vitterhetprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Tagalog kaalaliman
- kaalalimanprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Turkish bilginlik
- bilginlikprofound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Ukrainian еруди́ція, бага́ж зна́нь
- еруди́ція (erudýcija)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- бага́ж зна́нь (baháž znánʹ)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
- розумо́вий бага́ж (rozumóvyj baháž)profound knowledge, especially that based on learning and scholarship
Cite this entry
erudition. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/erudition
“erudition.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/erudition. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “erudition,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/erudition.
Source: erudition on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.