APA Dictionary of Psychology

savant

Updated on 11/15/2023
n. a person who demonstrates exceptional, usually isolated, cognitive abilities, such as rapid calculation, identifying the day of the week for any given date, or musical talent, especially in an individual with a mental or neurodevelopmental disorder, such as intellectual developmental disorder or autism spectrum disorder. The outdated term idiot savant initially was used to denote such a person but has been discarded as offensive.
ADVERTISEMENT

Word of the Day

ADVERTISEMENT

Psychology in the News