academia

American

[ak-uh-dee-mee-uh, -deem-yuh, -dem-ee-uh, -dem-yuh] / ˌæk əˈdi mi ə, -ˈdim yə, -ˈdɛm i ə, -ˈdɛm yə /

noun

the milieu or interests of a university, college, or academy; academe.

academia British

/ ˌækəˈdiːmɪə /

noun

the academic world

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of academia

First recorded in 1945–50; from New Latin, Latin; academy

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.

Ma spent his early career in academia, rising to vice president at the Harbin Institute of Technology before entering the aerospace industry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The bot boom in academia writ large puts on display the insecurity of students just as much as it does their laziness.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

"I think his experience at Oxford and in academia influenced the way he chose that nickname," Jones says.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

Not having that visibility can matter when it comes to achievements like being offered a tenured position — the height of stability in academia.

From Salon • Feb. 24, 2026

“Guess you couldn’t keep up with a life of academia, then?”

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023