learn
Americanverb (used with object)
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to acquire knowledge of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience.
to learn French;
to learn to ski.
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to become informed of or acquainted with; ascertain.
to learn the truth.
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to memorize.
He learned the poem so he could recite it at the dinner.
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to gain (a habit, mannerism, etc.) by experience, exposure to example, or the like; acquire.
She learned patience from her father.
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(of a device or machine, especially a computer) to perform an analogue of human learning with artificial intelligence.
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Nonstandard. to instruct in; teach.
verb (used without object)
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to acquire knowledge or skill.
to learn rapidly.
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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)
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(tr) to commit to memory
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(tr) to gain by experience, example, etc
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(intr; often foll by of or about) to become informed; know
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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
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has learntperfect 3rd person singular
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has learnedperfect 3rd person singular
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have learntperfect
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have learnedperfect
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is learningprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been learningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been learningperfect progressive
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are learningprogressive
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am learningprogressive 1st person singular
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learnssingular 3rd person
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learningparticiple
Past
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had learntperfect
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had learnedperfect
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were learningprogressive plural
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had been learningperfect progressive
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was learningprogressive singular
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learntsimple
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learnedparticiple
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learntparticiple
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learnedsimple
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.
They are trained on enormous amounts of text and learn patterns in language, allowing them to generate responses that often appear remarkably human.
From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026
Kim does not mention any process to develop and "North Korea still refuses to learn from China's developmental experience", he said.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Mr. Pelley doesn’t have to agree but he might have waited to learn why.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
According to reporting in the New York Times, “American officials did not learn of the outbreak until Thursday, nine days after the World Health Organization did, and almost a month after the first person died.”
From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026
“Well, learn plenty,” I told him, “and tell me all about it when and if I get back.”
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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.
