If you describe someone as erudite, you mean that they have or show great academic knowledge. You can also use erudite to describe something such as a book or a style of writing.
[formal]
He was never dull, always erudite and well informed.
...an original and highly erudite style.
Synonyms: learned, lettered, cultured, educated More Synonyms of erudite
erudite in British English
(ˈɛrʊˌdaɪt)
adjective
having or showing extensive scholarship; learned
Derived forms
eruditely (ˈeruˌditely)
adverb
erudition (ˌɛrʊˈdɪʃən) or eruditeness (ˈeruˌditeness)
noun
Word origin
C15: from Latin ērudītus, from ērudīre to polish, from ex-1 + rudis unpolished, rough
erudite in American English
(ˈɛrjuˌdaɪt; ˈɛrudaɪt; ˈɛrjəˌdaɪt; ˈɛrəˌdaɪt)
adjective
having or showing a wide knowledge gained from reading; learned; scholarly
Derived forms
eruditely (ˈeruˌditely)
adverb
Word origin
ME erudit < L eruditus, pp. of erudire, to instruct, lit., free from roughness < e-, out + rudis, rude
Examples of 'erudite' in a sentence
erudite
It is a shame that this lively and erudite book is undermined by episodes such as this.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
Here is a man unafraid to be highly intellectual and erudite but also populist and practical.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
None was funny or erudite or told amusing anecdotes.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
At such times the talk might be rambling but it was always erudite and sparkling with ideas.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Cricket is often cited as an example of sporting language that is witty and erudite.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This erudite and thought-provoking book provides an ideal meeting ground.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
His erudite book also casts in relief the less enthralling aspects of the contemporary Games.
The Times Literary Supplement (2011)
He was charming, erudite and civilised.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
A deeply soulful and erudite man who genuinely loved the theatre.
The Sun (2015)
It's a splendid, erudite book.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
They were erudite, charming, aloof and slightly scary.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
There are elements of autobiography in these acute, erudite, elegant and amusing essays.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The first doctor, an erudite man, was happy but the second seemed unconvinced it was worthwhile.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
A rather erudite book club.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He was a highly erudite man, meticulous about language, and a very thoughtful comic writer and performer.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
As well as being erudite, witty and utterly shameless, his autobiography shows he was capable of great mercy.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
(adjective)
Definition
having or showing great academic knowledge
I found him a charming and erudite companion.
Synonyms
learned
He is a serious scholar, a genuine learned man.
lettered
young and old, lettered and unlettered
cultured
He is a cultured man with a wide circle of friends.
educated
He is an educated, amiable and decent man.
scholarly
He was an intellectual, scholarly man.
cultivated
His mother was an elegant, cultivated woman.
knowledgeable
He was a knowledgeable and well-read man.
literate
The lyrics are highly literate; they even quote Voltaire.
well-educated
well-read
He was clever, well-read and interested in the arts.
Opposites
shallow
,
ignorant
,
illiterate
,
uneducated
,
uninformed
,
unthinking
,
unschooled
,
unlettered
,
untaught
Additional synonyms
in the sense of cultivated
Definition
well-educated
His mother was an elegant, cultivated woman.
Synonyms
refined,
cultured,
advanced,
polished,
educated,
sophisticated,
accomplished,
discriminating,
enlightened,
discerning,
civilized,
genteel,
well-educated,
urbane,
erudite,
well-bred
in the sense of cultured
Definition
showing good taste or manners
He is a cultured man with a wide circle of friends.