1. Having a great deal of learning; erudite. • A lawyer might refer to an adversary as a “learned colleague” or “learned opponent” — a comment that, depending on the situation and tone of voice, may be either a genuine compliment or a sarcastic slight.
2. Well versed in the law and its history. • Statutes sometimes require that judges be “learned in the law,” a phrase commonly construed as meaning that they must have earned a law degree and been admitted to the bar.
