highbrow

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English

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Etymology

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A compound of the words high +‎ brow, first recorded usage in 1875. Referring to the (by that time discredited) science of phrenology, which suggested that a person of intelligence and sophistication would possess a higher brow-line than someone of lesser intelligence and sophistication.

Adjective

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highbrow

  1. (sometimes derogatory) Intellectually stimulating, highly cultured, sophisticated.
    Antonym: lowbrow
    Coordinate terms: middlebrow, no-brow
    highbrow entertainment

Translations

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Noun

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highbrow (plural highbrows)

  1. (sometimes derogatory) A cultured or learned person or thing.
    Synonyms: intellectual, scholar
    Antonym: lowbrow
    Coordinate term: middlebrow

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Further reading

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