a former scholar

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a former scholar" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to someone who has previously engaged in scholarly activities or academic pursuits. Example: "After years of research, she transitioned from a former scholar to a successful author."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

The head of the family and the force behind the movement in Egypt is Mr. Said's half brother, Ahmed Sobhy Mansour, a former scholar at Al Azhar.

The New York Times

A former scholar of Elizabethan poetry, Dr. Varmus was not satisfied simply as an English major, nor as merely the discoverer of cancer-causing oncogenes.

The New York Times

Yet he uses three words in the article that I did not know despite, like him, being a former scholar of Brasenose College, Oxford.

The Guardian

Ren Yanli, a former scholar at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and one of China's leading experts on Catholicism, says attempts at reconciliation have been frustrated by "dove and hawk factions" on both sides.

The Economist

"Don't do it," Mr. Sikorski stressed, noting that as a refugee from Soviet-era Poland, a reporter from Soviet-occupied Afghanistan, a former scholar at "the right-wing American Enterprise Institute" and a fan of free markets and Margaret Thatcher, "I tick every box required to be a lifelong member of London's most powerful euro-skeptics' club".

The New York Times

"To love Google, you have to be a little bit of a monarchist, you have to have faith in the way people traditionally felt about the king," Tim Wu, a Columbia law professor and a former scholar in residence at Google, told me recently.

The New York Times - Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

In 1927 he began to study under Wang Tongyu, a former scholar-official of the imperial court in the Qing period who had settled at Nanxiang, and the renowned Shanghai painter Feng Chaoran, on the recommendation of Wang.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"In this sense, there are already enough people in China who know about this," said Liu Junning, a political scientist and former scholar at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences who has written extensively about political reform.

The New York Times

Loretta Napoleoni, a former Fulbright scholar at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies and Rotary Scholar at the London School of Economics, is a leading expert on international terrorism who has worked as a consultant to European national banks and a financial columnist for numerous European daily papers.

Huffington Post

Moore – a former organ scholar at Magdalen College Oxford – played the church organ at Boyd's funeral.

The Guardian - Music

As a former theological scholar, being a pastor gave him much to think about".

The Guardian - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing someone as "a former scholar", provide context about their area of expertise or the institution they were affiliated with for better clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "a former scholar" without providing any information about their field. Readers may not understand the significance of their scholarly background without context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a former scholar" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as an appositive or modifier to describe someone's previous occupation or status. Ludwig examples show its use in identifying individuals with a past academic background.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Encyclopedias

8%

Science

8%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a former scholar" is a grammatically sound phrase used to identify individuals who previously engaged in scholarly activities. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is correct and usable. While not exceedingly common, it appears most frequently in news and media contexts. When using this phrase, providing additional context about the person's specific field or institutional affiliation can enhance clarity. Be sure to avoid assumptions about the reader's prior knowledge by giving context to the relevance of the person's scholarly background.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

A previous academic

Replaces "scholar" with "academic" focusing on the individual's prior role in academia.

An ex-researcher

Replaces "scholar" with "researcher", highlighting the research aspect of scholarly work.

One-time academician

Uses "academician" for a more formal tone, emphasizing a past involvement in academic activities.

A past fellow

Emphasizes a prior fellowship, often associated with scholarly work.

Once a researcher

Similar to "ex-researcher" but with a different structural emphasis.

Formerly a scholar

Inverts the phrase structure for emphasis.

A one-time student of...

Focuses on the individual's past as a student in a specific field, implying scholarly activity.

A graduate who studied...

Highlights the completion of studies in a certain area.

A retired academic

Suggests the person is no longer active in academia.

A learned individual (previously)

Uses more general terms to describe someone with a background in scholarship.

FAQs

How is "a former scholar" used in a sentence?

The phrase "a former scholar" is used to describe someone who previously held a scholarly position or engaged in academic research. For instance, "a former scholar at Harvard Law School now works as a consultant".

What's a more formal way to say "a former scholar"?

A more formal way to express "a former scholar" could be "a previous academic" or "one-time academician", depending on the specific context.

What are some alternatives to "a former scholar"?

You could use alternatives like "an ex-researcher", "a past fellow", or "formerly a scholar" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it necessary to specify the area of study when using the phrase "a former scholar"?

While not always necessary, specifying the area of study or the institution where the person was a scholar provides valuable context. For example, "a former classics scholar" gives more information than just "a former scholar".