serious-minded

adjective

se·​ri·​ous-mind·​ed ˌsir-ē-əs-ˈmīn-dəd How to pronounce serious-minded (audio)
Synonyms of serious-mindednext
: having a serious disposition or trend of thought
serious-mindedly adverb
serious-mindedness noun

Examples of serious-minded in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Despite decades of asking them in online forums, on social media and to search engines, humans still seem to have an infinite supply of these less-than-serious-minded queries. — Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026 The number of places in the world where someone can earn a living making serious-minded fine art has shrunk drastically—now the number of places where people go to prison for rigorous creative action is rising at an alarming speed. — Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025 Consider the career arc of Lane Monte Kiffin, son of esteemed and very serious-minded defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025 Inside, serious-minded speakers compete with bursts of music and chanting from neighboring pavilions. — Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for serious-minded

Word History

First Known Use

1694, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of serious-minded was in 1694

Rhymes for serious-minded

See All Rhymes for serious-minded

Browse Nearby Words

seriously
serious-minded
seriousness
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Cite this Entry

“Serious-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serious-minded. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

serious-minded

adjective
se·​ri·​ous-mind·​ed
ˌsir-ē-ə-ˈsmīn-dəd
: having a serious disposition or trend of thought

More from Merriam-Webster on serious-minded

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