welllearned

Welllearned is a descriptor used to denote a person who has acquired extensive knowledge through sustained study and immersion in scholarly pursuits. In modern English, the preferred forms are well-learned or well educated; welllearned without a hyphen is uncommon and often read as a nonstandard variant.

Historically, the compound is hyphenated as well-learned when used before a noun, as in a well-learned professor. The unhyphenated form appears in older or less formal texts. The term carries connotations of erudition and familiarity with established disciplines, and it is typically used to emphasize breadth of theoretical knowledge rather than practical skill.

Usage notes: well-learned can sound formal or archaic in contemporary prose; in many contexts, erudite, scholarly, or well educated are preferred. The phrase is commonly found in biographies, religious treatises, or critiques that seek to point to a writer's or speaker's familiarity with canonical works.

In contemporary usage, well-learned is often replaced by terms like erudite or well-educated, which can carry more neutral or modern connotations. The choice among these descriptors can reflect stylistic preferences as well as the intended emphasis on breadth of knowledge versus other forms of learning.