noun

grammarian

gruh-MAIR-ee-uhn

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Grammarian (noun) means a person who studies grammar, whether as a serious academic discipline or in a more casual, unscientific way. Example: “The dictionary's introduction was written by a well-known grammarian.”

noun

A person who studies grammar, whether as a serious academic discipline or in a more casual, unscientific way.

"The dictionary's introduction was written by a well-known grammarian."

"She trained as a grammarian before moving into translation work."

"Grammarians have long debated how best to classify irregular verbs."

informal Someone who fussily points out faults in other people's grammar, often without real expertise.

"My uncle is a grammarian who corrects every text message he receives."

"Don't let the office grammarian put you off speaking up in meetings."

"He plays the grammarian on social media, flagging every misplaced apostrophe."

How to use grammarian

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA grammarian is someone who studies grammar closely, or who likes correcting other people's mistakes.

When to use it

The pedantic sense is used informally and can carry a mildly mocking tone.

Memory tip

Use the word neutrally for a grammar scholar, but expect it to sound teasing when aimed at a nitpicky friend.

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Common pairings

a trained grammarian act like a grammarian amateur grammarian the office grammarian

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The dictionary's introduction was written by a well-known _____.

Etymology

Grammarian comes from Middle English gramarien, which was itself taken from Middle French gramairien. The word eventually took the place of the older native English term for someone skilled in grammar.

Origin: Middle French

Synonyms

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grammatician grammaticist

Rhymes for grammarian

Asian radian Fabian Indian Syrian simian median Italian Russian Persian Serbian Latvian

See all rhymes for grammarian →

Frequently asked questions

What does grammarian mean?

A grammarian is someone who studies grammar, either as an academic subject or informally. The word can also refer to someone who nitpicks other people's grammar.

Is grammarian an insult?

It can be used lightly as a jab at someone who is overly picky about grammar, but its main sense is simply a neutral term for a student or scholar of grammar.

What is a synonym for grammarian?

Grammatician and grammaticist are both accepted synonyms for someone who studies grammar.

What is the meaning of grammarian?

"grammarian" (noun) means a person who studies grammar, whether as a serious academic discipline or in a more casual, unscientific way.