curriculum
Americannoun
-
the aggregate of courses of study given in a school, college, university, etc..
The school is adding more science courses to its curriculum.
-
the regular or a particular course of study in a school, college, etc.
noun
-
a course of study in one subject at a school or college
-
a list of all the courses of study offered by a school or college
-
any programme or plan of activities
Usage
Plural word for curriculum The plural form of curriculum can be either curricula or curriculums, although curricula is more commonly used. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -um are also formed in the same way, including memorandum/memoranda, and bacterium/bacteria. Irregular plurals that are formed like curricula derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin. However, the usual plural -s ending is often also acceptable for many of these terms, as in curriculums and memorandums.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of curriculum
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin: “action of running, course of action, race, chariot,” equivalent to curr(ere) “to run” + -i- -i- + -culum -cule 2
Explanation
A curriculum is a set of courses designed to give expertise, like the shoemaking curriculum at Shoe U: Advanced Cutting, Hammering, and Stitching; History of the Heel; and A Cultural History of Walking. Curriculum comes from the Latin word for "running course," or "career," but when we talk about curriculum it's always about school. If you go to a school with a Liberal Arts curriculum, you'll get an education in the humanities with some science, but if you go to a technical school with a hard-core astrophysics curriculum, you probably won't have to take any courses on poetry.
Vocabulary lists containing curriculum
The Vocabulary of College
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Make a Run for It: Cur, Curs
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Schooled
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
But now, students across California will have a chance to learn about Cambodian Americans and other Asian communities through the Southeast Asian Studies Model Curriculum, which is the first of it’s kind in the country.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2024
There will be major changes to GCSEs in Wales from September 2025 after reforms to align qualifications with the Curriculum for Wales, which started being taught in all schools from September 2023.
From BBC • Aug. 21, 2024
Under the Curriculum for Wales, Religion Values and Ethics is mandatory in all maintained schools and guidance says it should be "objective, critical and pluralistic" and "not about making learners ‘religious or 'non-religious'."
From BBC • Jun. 18, 2024
Hundreds of references to terms including BMI, weight, calories and diets have been removed from school resources by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, replaced with terminology such as "balanced nutrition".
From Salon • Feb. 5, 2024
The National Curriculum for Music in a multi-cultural society.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
