A polymath (Greek: πολυμαθής, romanized: polymathēs, lit. ’having learned much’; Latin: homo universalis, lit. ’universal human’) or polyhistor (Greek: πολυΐστωρ, romanized: polyīstor, lit. ’well-learned’) is an individual whose knowledge spans many different subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems.
Embodying a basic tenet of Renaissance humanism that humans are limitless in their capacity for development, the concept led to the notion that people should embrace all knowledge and develop their capacities as fully as possible. This is expressed in the term Renaissance man, often applied to the gifted people of that age who sought to develop their abilities in all areas of accomplishment: intellectual, artistic, social, physical, and spiritual.