Meaning & use
scientist
Last updated
UK/ˈsaɪəntɪst/
US/ˈsaɪəntɪst/
Meaning
nouncountable
A person who studies or works in one of the natural or physical sciences.
Grammar: Countable; can be singular or plural. Often used with a field: a research scientist, a computer scientist.
Patterns
- a scientist who studies something
- a scientist at a university
- work as a scientist
She became a scientist because she loved asking questions about how things work.
The scientist explained her research to the class.
Scientists around the world are working on new vaccines.
Word forms
| plural | scientists |
|---|
Common combinations
- research scientist
- He works as a research scientist at a pharmaceutical company.
- computer scientist
- The computer scientist developed a new algorithm.
- social scientist
- Social scientists study human behavior and societies.
- scientist at a university
- She is a scientist at a university in Boston.
Synonyms and how they differ
- researcher
- A broader term for anyone who does research, not necessarily in science.
- scholar
- Often used for someone in the humanities or academic study, not usually for natural scientists.
Word family
- scientific adjective
- Relating to science or its methods.
- science noun
- The study of the natural world through observation and experiment.
- scientifically adverb
- In a way that relates to science or uses scientific methods.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'scientist' correctly?
Choose one answer.
We say 'a scientist who studies...' or 'a scientist working on...'. The other prepositions don't fit this pattern.
Make it your own
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