Polymaths

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals with extensive knowledge in multiple fields or disciplines
2. People who are adept at learning and understanding a diverse range of subjects and skills
3. Experts who display proficiency and insight across various domains of knowledge

Etymology: The plural "polymaths" is simply the plural of "polymath," so the history belongs to the singular. That word was a learned borrowing from Ancient Greek "polumathḗs," meaning "having learnt much," first recorded in English in 1624. Its roots are "polús," "much," the same element found in "polygon" and "polyglot," and "manthánō," "to learn." The Greek word was not a common everyday term. Writers reached for it when they wanted a learned coinage that sounded scholarly and a little grand, and the English adoption followed that pattern: it was a deliberate choice of classical vocabulary rather than a word that grew up in speech. The Greek form also gave English a family of related terms, such as "polymathy" and "polymathic," and older Greek-based relatives like "philomath," a lover of learning.

Synonyms: renaissance men, multitalented individuals