savant
savant Lexical Profile
savant Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An individual with a neurodevelopmental condition or intellectual disability who exhibits extraordinary talent or brilliance in a specific area, such as music, art, calendar calculation, or rapid arithmetic.
"As a musical savant, he could play an entire concerto flawlessly after hearing it only once."
A person of profound learning or exceptional expertise, especially in a distinguished field of science or scholarship.
"The symposium gathered international savants to debate the philosophical implications of quantum mechanics."
Word Nuance & Usage
In clinical psychology, 'savant' (or 'savant syndrome') has completely replaced the outdated and pejorative term 'idiot savant'.
• Rhymes for savant
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 18th century from French 'savant', a noun use of the present participle of 'savoir' (to know), ultimately from Latin 'sapere' (to be wise).