man of letters

noun phrase

Synonyms of man of lettersnext
1
: scholar
2
: author

Examples of man of letters in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Frost was very much a man of letters, a classicist and, alongside his future wife, Elinor, a co-valedictorian of his high school, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. — Maggie Doherty, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025 His three senior editors vie clumsily for the throne, distracting and neutralizing one another as only men of letters can. — Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of man of letters was in 1645

Rhymes for man of letters

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Browse Nearby Words

man of law
man of letters
man of parts
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Cite this Entry

“Man of letters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/man%20of%20letters. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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