anti-intellectual

American

[an-tee-in-tl-ek-choo-uhl, an-tahy‑] / ˌæn tiˌɪn tlˈɛk tʃu əl, ˌæn taɪ‑ /

Also anti-intellectualist

noun

a person opposed to or hostile toward intellectuals and the modern academic, artistic, social, religious, and other theories associated with them.
a person who believes that intellect and reason are less important than actions and emotions in solving practical problems and understanding reality.

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of anti-intellectuals or their beliefs.

Other Word Forms

anti-intellectualism noun
anti-intellectualistic adjective
anti-intellectuality noun

Etymology

Origin of anti-intellectual

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Having something where you can sit down and be intellectual in a world that is increasingly anti-intellectual is a breath of fresh air,” Kolts said.

From Los Angeles Times

Experts say the trade thrived from the mid-1960s to the 1990s -- a period of instability that saw the anti-intellectual Khmer Rouge regime rise to power and left precious heritage unprotected.

From Barron's

That anti-intellectual tradition is still with us, of course, and traces back to the Puritans' culture of the simple.

From Salon

Many of us are anti-intellectual and don't want to think.

From Salon

“Maybe if you’d done your job, we wouldn’t need to live in a dome,” Ray huffs to his petulant, anti-intellectual roommate.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023