a. and sb. [ad. L. ērudīt-us, f. ērudīre to instruct, train, f. ē out + rudis rude, untrained.]
A. adj.
1. Of persons and their faculties: † a. Trained, well-instructed (obs. or arch.); b. Learned, scholarly. (Now somewhat rare exc. in sarcastic use.)
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), I. 231. A man callede Nanus, erudite in the arte of nigromancy.
1539. J. Foster, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 141, II. 112. The Kyngys erudyte jugementt, with all hys cowncell temperall and spyrytuall hathe stableschyd a contrary order.
1598. Marston, Pygmal., Sat. IV. 153. Would ever any erudite Pedant Seeme in his artles lines so insolent?
1748. Chesterf., Lett. (1792), II. clxiv. 93 (T.). Your Latin Lecture … is … as good Latin as the erudite Germans speak or write.
1791. D’Israeli, Cur. Lit. (1858), I. 3. Having chosen the erudite Varro for its librarian.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. ii. (1865), 15. Those variæ lectiones, so tempting to the more erudite palates.
1849. Lytton, Caxtons, I. 24. Before I was six years old, I was erudite in that primitive literature.
1875. Hamerton, Intell. Life, XI. ii. 408. The remarkably skilful man is not likely to be the erudite man.
2. Of literary productions, etc.: Characterized by erudition.
1533. More, Apol., v. Wks. 854/1. Shewed in his most erudite famous booke agaynst Luther.
1715. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., I. 6. The fore-mentioned Treasures of Erudite Pamphlet-tracts.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., II. 95. A most erudite sermon on the rites and ceremonies of Christmas.
1833. I. Taylor, Sat. Even., 222 (W.). Erudite and metaphysical theology.
1861. Geo. Eliot, Silas M., 35. Some erudite research, some ingenious project.
B. sb. [So Fr. érudit.] An erudite person, a scholar. rare.
1865. Grote, Plato, I. iv. 141. These laborious and useful erudites.
1888. Pall Mall Gaz., 6 Sept., 3/1. There are to be found, in and out of America, women citizens of that great country, a large number of female would-be erudites.
Hence Eruditely advs., in an erudite manner, learnedly, skilfully. Eruditeness, the quality or condition of being erudite. Eruditical a. rare, characterized by, or laying claim to, erudition.
1529. More, Supplic. Soulys, Wks. 331/1. Theyr holy workes eruditely written.
1736. in Bailey.
1811. Byron, Hints fr. Horace, 433. Who eruditely know To separate the elegant and low.
1862. Lytton, Str. Story, II. 68. The truth which you so eruditely insinuate to be a fable.
1818. Coleridge, Lit. Rem. (1836), I. 160. Some meritorious modern poets … attempt an eruditeness.
1832. Fraser’s Mag., VI. 107. Edinburgh, the most eruditical city in Christendom.
1838. Galt, in Tait’s Mag., V. 43. There is no saying how eruditical I became.
