academy

[uh-kad-uh-mee]

noun

plural

academies 

1. a secondary or high school, especially a private one.

   My daughter goes to a very exclusive academy in Chicago.

2. a school or college for special instruction or training in a subject.

   a military academy.

3. an association or institution for the advancement of art, literature, or science.

   the National Academy of Arts and Letters.

4. a group of authorities and leaders in a field of scholarship, art, etc., who are often permitted to dictate standards, prescribe methods, and criticize new ideas.

5. the Academy,

   1. the Platonic school of philosophy or its adherents.

   2. academe.

   3. French Academy.

   4. Royal Academy.

   5. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Academy

¹

/ əˈkædəmɪ /

noun

1. 1. the grove or garden near Athens where Plato taught in the late 4th century _bc

   2. the school of philosophy founded by Plato

   3. the members of this school and their successors

2. short for the French Academy Royal Academy

academy

²

/ əˈkædəmɪ /

noun

1. an institution or society for the advancement of literature, art, or science

2. a school for training in a particular skill or profession

   a military academy

3. a secondary school: now used only as part of a name, and often denoting a private school

Word History and Origins

Origin of academy¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English achademye, achadomye, from Latin Acadēmīa, the name of the public gymnasium near Athens, sacred to the hero Academus, where Plato established his school of philosophy; from Greek Akadēmía, variant of Akadḗmeia, noun use of feminine adjective Akadḗmeios, derivative of Akádēm(os) + -eia adjective suffix; Academus; -y ³ ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of academy¹

C16: via Latin from Greek akadēmeia name of the grove where Plato taught, named after the legendary hero Akadēmos

Example Sentences

He has done things the hard way to become an Arsenal and England player at the age of 27 and his story, having been released by Arsenal's academy aged 13, makes it even more incredible.

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Kelly: Can you remember a time, even going through the academy, where you thought, 'I'm going to make it to the first team'?

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His journey to cricket's summit is a throwback – a far cry from academy pathways and state under-age teams.

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He has taught generations of principled conservatives from his position at Princeton, standing athwart the Rawlsian liberalism regnant in the academy.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Why are you holding chickens? I thought this was the Sunburne School, not a poultry academy.”

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• boarding school 
• institute 
• prep school 
• secondary school 
• seminary