educated
Americanadjective
-
having undergone education.
educated people.
-
characterized by or displaying qualities of culture and learning.
-
based on some information or experience.
an educated estimate of next year's sales.
adjective
-
having an education, esp a good one
-
displaying culture, taste, and knowledge; cultivated
-
(prenominal) based on experience or information (esp in the phrase an educated guess )
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of educated
Explanation
If you're educated, you've been to school or college, or otherwise been instructed or trained. Using long, fancy words will either make people think you're educated or that you're a show-off. When you make an educated decision about something, you've learned about the subject before making up your mind — you've been educated or educated yourself, and you understand it completely. An educated conversation or debate about a topic is one in which both sides have knowledge about the issues. Educated comes from educate, with its Latin root, educare, which means both "educate" and "bring up or rear children."
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.
The findings challenge the familiar idea that success mainly comes from growing up in a wealthy or highly educated family.
From Science Daily • May 6, 2026
Though Vargas’ mother was educated in the American school system, she made a point of preserving her family’s mother tongue.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
Scores of vulnerable children lived and were educated in the homes - many of whom had disabilities and were non-verbal and living far away from home.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
"We are an educated people with strong determination and we deserve to have our own state," he told AFP.
From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026
It was high time that someone official educated the poor villagers on the benefits of orbs and the powers of the Governor, That was one part of the reason Nok's father had decided to come.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
