Synonyms for Academic (same or very similar meaning)
WordNet sense 1 (an educator who works at a college or university):
academician, faculty member
WordNet sense 2 (marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects):
pedantic, donnish
WordNet sense 3 (characteristic of scholars or scholarship):
scholarly
WordNet sense 4 (concerned with theories rather than their practical applications):
theoretical
From the ODE community, based on WordNet
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