English Lexicon

Savant

/səˈvænt/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #1500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A person who has a mental disability but exhibits extraordinary abilities in a specific area, such as music, art, or mathematics.

    "Despite his challenges, he is a musical savant, capable of playing complex pieces by ear."
  2. 2

    A person with profound knowledge or skill in a particular field.

    "The scientist was regarded as a savant in the field of quantum physics."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Synonyms (3)
Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The term 'idiot-savant' originated in the late 19th century, combining 'idiot', derived from the Greek 'idiotes' meaning 'private citizen', and 'savant', from the French 'savant', meaning 'learned' or 'knowledgeable'. Historically, it referred to individuals with intellectual disabilities who exhibited extraordinary abilities in specific areas.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Savant"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Savant"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Savant" Synonym Map