Meanings
nounpolymath (plural polymaths)
plural polymaths · alternative polumathe · alternative polymathe
- A person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge.
To be thought and held Polumathes and Polihistors.
1624, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy (2ⁿᵈ edn.), p.61 more example
A bit of a polymath, he was crucial in the early development of the railways in this country.
2021 December 29, Stephen Roberts, “Stories and facts behind railway plaques”, in RAIL, number 947, page 56Synonyms: polyhistor, Renaissance man
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge.
Similar
Origin
- Ancient Greekπολυμαθής“having learnt much”
- Englishpolymath
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πολυμαθής (polumathḗs, “having learnt much”), first attested in 1624. From πολύς (polús, “much”) (for more, see poly-) + μανθάνω (manthánō, “to learn”). Compare opsimath, philomath, polyhistor, polymathic, polymathist, and polymathy.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek πολυΐστωρ
- πολυΐστωρ (poluḯstōr)person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Arabic عَلَّامَة, بحر العلوم
- عَلَّامَة (ʕallāma)person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- بحر العلومperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Bulgarian енциклопеди́ст, еруди́т
- енциклопеди́ст (enciklopedíst)person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- еруди́т (erudít)person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- у́чен (účen)person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Catalan polímata
- polímataperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Chinese Mandarin 學識淵博的人 /学识渊博的人, 博學的人 /博学的人
- 學識淵博的人 /学识渊博的人 (xuéshí yuānbó de rén)person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- 博學的人 /博学的人 (bóxué de rén)person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Czech renesanční člověk, polyhistor
- renesanční člověkperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- polyhistorperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Dutch veelweter, alleskunner
- veelweterperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- alleskunnerperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- renaissancemensperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Finnish monitietäjä, polyhistori
- monitietäjäperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- polyhistoriperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- yleisneroperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
French polymathe, homme de la Renaissance
- polymatheperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- homme de la Renaissanceperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
German Polyhistor, Universalgelehrter
- Polyhistorperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- Universalgelehrterperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Greek πολυμαθής
- πολυμαθής (polymathís)person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Icelandic fjölfræðingur
- fjölfræðingurperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Italian erudito, uomo universale
- eruditoperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- uomo universaleperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- polimateperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- polimataperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Japanese 博識者
- 博識者 (hakushikisha)person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Latin homō ūniversālis
- homō ūniversālisperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Persian همهچیزدان, پردانش
- همهچیزدان (hame-čizdân)person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- پردانش (porrdâneš)person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Polish człowiek renesansu, encyklopedysta
- człowiek renesansuperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- encyklopedystaperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- uczonyperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- polihistorperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- polimatperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Portuguese polímata, polímato
- polímataperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- polímatoperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Romanian polimat, polihistor
- polimatperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- polihistorperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Russian полима́т, эруди́т
- полима́т (polimát)person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- эруди́т (erudít)person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- учёный (učónyj)person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Spanish polímata
- polímataperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Swedish polyhistor, universalbegåvning
- polyhistorperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- universalbegåvningperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- universalsnilleperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
- universalgeniperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Turkish allame
- allameperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Welsh polymath
- polymathperson with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge
Cite this entry
APA
polymath. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polymath
MLA
“polymath.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polymath. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “polymath,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polymath.
Source: polymath on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.