university

American  

[yoo-nuh-vur-si-tee] / ˌyu nəˈvɜr sɪ ti /

noun

universities plural

1. an institution of learning of the highest level, having a college of liberal arts and a program of graduate studies together with several professional schools, as of theology, law, medicine, and engineering, and authorized to confer both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Continental European universities usually have only graduate or professional schools.

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university British  

/ ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsɪtɪ /

noun

1. an institution of higher education having authority to award bachelors' and higher degrees, usually having research facilities

2. the buildings, members, staff, or campus of a university

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonuniversity
  noun
• interuniversity
  adjective
• prouniversity
  adjective
• counteruniversity
  noun
• universitarian
  noun
• preuniversity
  adjective
• antiuniversity
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• universities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of university

1250–1300; Middle English universite < Old French < Medieval Latin ūniversitās, Late Latin: guild, corporation, Latin: totality, equivalent to ūnivers ( us ) ( see universe) + -itās -ity

Compare meaning

How does university compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• State College vs. university

Explanation

A university is a big school where you go to get a degree — maybe even a master’s or PhD. If you’re going to a university, you’re probably on a big campus that also offers housing for students and professors. Just like the word universe (“the whole world”), university comes from the Latin word universus, meaning "whole, entire." So think of a university as being sort of a world of its own — an institute of higher education where you live and study. A university generally offers advanced degrees and research opportunities in many fields. Sometimes college and university are used to mean the same thing, but colleges are typically smaller and more limited in scope than universities.

Example Sentences

Home and car insurers are joining other deep-pocketed institutions from life insurance companies to university endowments in snapping up private investments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Funds in the account may be used for qualified higher-education expenses, including tuition at a college, university, trade school, vocational school or apprenticeship program.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

Around 12.9 million students nationwide registered for this year's "gaokao", according to the Ministry of Education, which for most is the sole determining factor in admission to a Chinese university.

From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026

The crowds were out early getting their spot around the university before the star arrived just before 09:30 BST.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Founded in 1931, the university had once been the finest in Asia, the intellectual heart of the country.

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai

Related Words

• academy
• institution
• school