learn
Americanverb (used with object)
-
learns,
present (3rd person singular)
-
learned,
past participle, past
-
learnt,
past participle, past
-
learning
present participle
-
to acquire knowledge of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience.
to learn French;
to learn to ski.
-
to become informed of or acquainted with; ascertain.
to learn the truth.
-
to memorize.
He learned the poem so he could recite it at the dinner.
-
to gain (a habit, mannerism, etc.) by experience, exposure to example, or the like; acquire.
She learned patience from her father.
-
(of a device or machine, especially a computer) to perform an analogue of human learning with artificial intelligence.
-
Nonstandard. to instruct in; teach.
verb (used without object)
-
learns,
present (3rd person singular)
-
learned,
past participle, past
-
learnt,
past participle, past
-
learning
present participle
-
to acquire knowledge or skill.
to learn rapidly.
-
to become informed (usually followed byof ).
to learn of an accident.
verb
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(when tr, may take a clause as object) to gain knowledge of (something) or acquire skill in (some art or practice)
-
(tr) to commit to memory
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(tr) to gain by experience, example, etc
-
(intr; often foll by of or about) to become informed; know
-
not_standard to teach
Usage
What are other ways to say learn?
To learn something is to acquire knowledge of it through study or experience. How does learn compare with discover, ascertain, and detect? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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learnsimple
-
learnssimple
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have learnedperfect
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have learntperfect
-
has learnedperfect
-
has learntperfect
-
am learningprogressive
-
are learningprogressive
-
is learningprogressive
-
have been learningperfect progressive
-
has been learningperfect progressive
Past
-
learnedsimple
-
learntsimple
-
had learnedperfect
-
had learntperfect
-
was learningprogressive
-
were learningprogressive
-
had been learningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of learn
First recorded before 900; Middle English lernen, Old English leornian “to learn, read, ponder” (cognate with German lernen ); akin to lesan “to glean” (cognate with German lesen “to read”). See lear
Explanation
To learn is to gain new knowledge or skills through study, practice or experience. You probably learn something every day. Whether you want to dance, understand chemistry, or know the alphabet backwards, you will have to learn. One of the most common ways to learn is through teachers and tutors, but people learn a lot from books, hobbies, jobs, and their families. Books and other reading material are a huge source of learning. Someone sent to prison learns they have to pay for their crime, but they might learn many things because they have plenty of time to read.
Vocabulary lists containing learn
President Obama's second inaugural address
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Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 3)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
What could other CFOs learn from your first year on the job?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Katie and our team continue to learn a great deal from the community,” its spokesperson said, “and we are now evaluating those insights to refine how we leverage the platform moving forward.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Even if they themselves are cynical about AI’s capabilities, they want job candidates who are willing to learn and discern, someone who exercises good judgment.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
He also said Labour needed to "learn to win again", arguing that it succeeded when it was "rooted in communities and serious about people's lives".
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
‘On the other hand, it might have just been looking for some flies to eat for breakfast – and if that’s the case then I don’t think I want to learn from it, after all.’
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Directed by Matt Johnson, it plays as a coming-of-age story as Bourdain gets his act together and learns that he craves both the chaos and rigor of a kitchen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The reader is an outside observer and learns about things in a realistic manner.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
The more Yoriko Kitagawa learns of a massive data centre to be built near her home in Hino on the outskirts of Tokyo, the more she worries.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
“There are consequences within our family and we will make sure our son learns from this accident.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
When Mrs. Murphy learns that I have come with almost nothing, she sets about gathering clothes.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
Eleven days later Southampton learned their fate and were thrown out of the play-offs and given a four-point deduction for this season.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
In July he learned that any further attempt to challenge the Kremlin could land him in jail.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
The few vehicles scattered in the parking lot, I learned, belonged mostly to Bill Hays, who describes himself as a “car guy.”
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
As part of investigating the assault on SW, detectives learned that Brambles had been released from custody under California’s parole laws for elderly inmates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
As these respected citizens learned of the spirits’ appearances, the ghosts settled down.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
By comparison Uganda has had nine since 2000, with officials there saying lessons learnt from past tragedies have allowed them to stop the disease ripping through the country on various occasions.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
"But what I shall most remember is the eye-opening pleasure of it all, and what I learnt about reading and the power of fiction from my fellow judges."
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
In the wake of the announcement, Magyar said on Facebook that he had learnt of the alleged raid from Fidesz.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Well I'm sorry, but the lessons have not been learnt.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
When we first acquired the motor-boat, my youngest sister was four and I was seven, and by then all of us had learnt to swim.
From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl
Soon enough, she was beating her old man and learning on her own, scouring videos online for instruction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
ICU nurse Lily Ku said staff were learning "how to move the hospital beds down to the basement and make the transition."
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
This will be welcome news for the new prime minister, who says he wants pupils in England to be able to study technical subjects in addition to core academic learning from Year 10.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
With the movie aficionados apparently learning their lesson after two quarters, Fair Lawn rallied for a 13-12 win – one of the cutters scored two touchdowns and the extra point.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The operation had been a success, and Daisy was learning to walk.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
