tuition
Americannoun
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the charge or fee for instruction, as at a private school or a college or university.
The college will raise its tuition again next year.
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teaching or instruction, as of pupils.
a school offering private tuition in languages.
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Archaic. guardianship or custody.
noun
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instruction, esp that received in a small group or individually
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the payment for instruction, esp in colleges or universities
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of tuition
1250–1300; Middle English tuicion a looking after, guarding < Latin tuitiōn- (stem of tuitiō ), equivalent to tuit ( us ) (past participle of tuērī to watch; cf. tutelage) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Tuition is a fee paid for instruction or teaching, usually for higher education. Many students need to get part-time jobs to pay their college tuition. The word tuition comes from the Anglo-French word tuycioun, meaning "protection, care, custody." Some people say college protects you from the "real world," at least while you are in school, but tuition is a reality all students face. Tuition can describe any payment made for instruction, however, even for a knitting class. That tuition can probably be covered without student loans or scholarships, though.
Vocabulary lists containing tuition
Nothing But the Truth
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The Distance Between Us
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Education and Academics, List 1
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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.
Yes, when tuition was $800 a year and you could cover it with a summer job.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
If you decide to save for education, either now or in the future, a tax-advantaged 529 account can help cover expenses such as tuition, fees, books and room and board.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
When she realized she didn’t want to create art glass, her professor encouraged her to leave and “save $90,000 on tuition for something she wasn’t 100% behind.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
The University of California, Irvine, this month said it will reduce tuition for its MBA program by $30,000 to $99,000.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
I would not have been under Kat’s tuition if I did not know what to do now.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
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.
