university

[ yoo-nuh-vur-si-tee ]
See synonyms for: universityuniversities on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural u·ni·ver·si·ties.
  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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Origin of university

1
1250–1300; Middle English universite<Old French <Medieval Latin ūniversitās,Late Latin: guild, corporation, Latin: totality, equivalent to ūnivers(us) (see universe) + -itās-ity

Other words from university

  • u·ni·ver·si·tar·i·an [yoo-nuh-vur-si-tair-ee-uhn], /ˌyu nəˌvɜr sɪˈtɛər i ən/, noun, adjective
  • an·ti·u·ni·ver·si·ty, adjective, noun
  • coun·ter·u·ni·ver·si·ty, noun, plural coun·ter·u·ni·ver·si·ties.
  • in·ter·u·ni·ver·si·ty, adjective
  • non·u·ni·ver·si·ty, noun, plural non·u·ni·ver·si·ties, adjective
  • pre·u·ni·ver·si·ty, adjective
  • pro·u·ni·ver·si·ty, adjective

Words Nearby university

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use university in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for university

university

/ (ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsɪtɪ) /


nounplural -ties
  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

Origin of university

1
C14: from Old French universite, from Medieval Latin universitās group of scholars, from Late Latin: guild, society, body of men, from Latin: whole, totality, universe

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