Crossword Genius

Three different articles on scholar one detested (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

anathema

'one detested' is the definition.
(anathema means something that is detested)

'three different articles on scholar' is the wordplay.
'three different' becomes 'an' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'articles' becomes 'a the' ('a' and 'the', indefinite and definite articles).
'on' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'scholar' becomes 'ma'.
'an'+'athe'+'ma'='ANATHEMA'

(Other definitions for anathema that I've seen before include "Something hated" , "Person or thing that's abhorred" , "Condemned or excommunicated by church" , "abhorrent" , "Curse; object of loathing" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app