inkhorn

adjective

Definition of inkhornnext
as in scholarly
marked by or given to showing knowledge in a showy way The writer apparently thought using a bunch of inkhorn terms would impress the reader and distract from the severely lacking plot.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inkhorn
  1. scholarly
  2. academic
  3. scholastic
  4. intellectual
  5. pedantic
Adjective
  • Tornau is now working to publish the sermons for the first time in a scholarly edition after nearly two years of research.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
  • Konchalovsky’s miniseries certainly can’t be accused of being a scholarly work, but there is something distinctly Homeric about its tone and the fact that, above all, its goal is to entertain.
    — Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
Definition of scholarly
Adjective
  • Like Pompano High, Hallandale students will apply and meet certain academic criteria to get in and stay in.
    — Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2026
  • But journalism has gotten so much smaller, and academia is also very precarious — and the idea of an academic writing in any kind of consumer-facing press is now considered a dig in your tenure file.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of academic
Adjective
  • The Union’s move is a small reversal of a decades-long trend away from scholastic sports as a soccer development tool.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 19 June 2026
  • Her work — rooted in teaching, scholastic research and mentoring — is continually focused on advancing social, racial and economic equity in secondary education classrooms.
    — Larry D. Urish, Oc Register, 3 June 2026
Definition of scholastic
Adjective
  • The disease can cause intellectual deficits as well as severe physical symptoms.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • Professors are eager to work with student veterans and believe the life experience veterans bring to the classroom is crucial to the intellectual diversity of institutions like Caltech.
    — Francesca Pinney, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of intellectual
Adjective
  • The best tended to use puns, literalization — turning an idiom into reality — and pedantic humor to delight and torment children in equal measures.
    — Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 21 June 2026
  • In the context of a smartphone, this distinction can feel a little pedantic.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 June 2026
Definition of pedantic
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.

Browse Nearby Words

inked
inkhorn
inking
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Cite this Entry

“Inkhorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inkhorn. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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