(ĕrˈyə-dītˌ, ĕrˈə-)
adjective Characterized by erudition; learned. See Synonyms at
learned.
Related Forms:
Word History: One might like to be
erudite but hesitate to be
rude. This preference is supported by the etymological relationship between
erudite and
rude. Erudite comes from the Latin adjective
ērudītus, “well-instructed, learned,” from the past participle of the verb
ērudīre, “to educate, train.” The verb is in turn formed from the prefix
ex-, “out, out of,” and the adjective
rudis, “untaught, untrained,” the source of our word
rude. The English word
erudite is first recorded in a work possibly written before 1425 with the senses “instructed, learned.”
Erudite meaning “learned” is supposed to have become rare except in sarcastic use during the latter part of the 19th century, but the word now seems to have been restored to favor.
