anti-intellectual

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anti-intellectual

A student feels discouraged by the anti-intellectual attitude of his classmates.

Definition

  1. Noun:

    • A person who is uninterested in or hostile towards intellectual pursuits: An "anti-intellectual" is someone who dismisses, dislikes, or is indifferent to intellectual activities, ideas, and culture.

  2. Adjective:

    • Characterized by a smug, ignorant, and indifferent or hostile attitude towards artistic and cultural values: Describes a mindset, attitude, or policy that is against intellectualism, often valuing practical or populist concerns over scholarly, artistic, or cultural ones.
Usage Examples

  • Noun:

    • He dismissed the professor's theories as useless, revealing himself to be an anti-intellectual.
    • The movement was criticized for appealing to anti-intellectuals who distrusted experts.

  • Adjective:

    • The politician's anti-intellectual rhetoric appealed to voters who were tired of elite jargon.
    • The government's anti-intellectual policies led to severe cuts in funding for the arts and humanities.
Advanced Usage

  • As a social or political label: The term is often used critically to describe a trend, sentiment, or group within society that devalues expertise, science, and high culture.

    • The debate was marked by a worrying anti-intellectual streak, with facts being dismissed as opinions.

  • Historical context: Can describe specific periods or movements where intellectual inquiry was suppressed or scorned.

    • The regime's anti-intellectual campaign targeted universities and independent thinkers.
Variants and Related Words
  • Anti-intellectualism (n): The ideology or practice of being hostile or indifferent to intellectual pursuits and cultural refinement.
    • The rise of anti-intellectualism in public discourse is a concern for educators.
Synonyms
  • Noun: Philistine, lowbrow, know-nothing.
  • Adjective: Philistine, anti-academic, anti-culture, obscurantist.
Antonyms
  • Noun: Intellectual, scholar, highbrow, aesthete.
  • Adjective: Intellectual, cultured, scholarly, erudite.
Related Idioms and Phrases
  • To have a philistine attitude: Similar to being anti-intellectual, showing contempt for or lack of understanding of cultural and artistic values.
    • His refusal to visit the museum showed a truly philistine attitude.
anti-intellectual

A student feels discouraged by the anti-intellectual attitude of his classmates.

Noun
  1. a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits
Adjective
  1. smug and ignorant and indifferent or hostile to artistic and cultural values

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