education
Americannoun
-
the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.
- Synonyms:
- learning, schooling, instruction
-
the act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills, as for a profession.
-
a degree, level, or kind of schooling.
a university education.
-
the result produced by instruction, training, or study.
to show one's education.
- Synonyms:
- enlightenment, knowledge, learning
-
the science or art of teaching; pedagogics.
noun
-
the act or process of acquiring knowledge, esp systematically during childhood and adolescence
-
the knowledge or training acquired by this process
his education has been invaluable to him
-
the act or process of imparting knowledge, esp at a school, college, or university
education is my profession
-
the theory of teaching and learning
a course in education
-
a particular kind of instruction or training
a university education
consumer education
Usage
What is a basic definition of education? Education is both the act of teaching knowledge to others and the act of receiving knowledge from someone else. Education also refers to the knowledge received through schooling or instruction and to the institution of teaching as a whole. Education has a few other senses as a noun.Education is a word that covers both the act of instructing and the act of learning. It usually refers specifically to the teaching of children or younger people and the learning done by them.Real-life examples: Elementary schools, high schools, and colleges are institutions focused on education: People are taught important information and life skills at these places. Medical schools, law schools, and driving schools provide more specialized forms of education.Used in a sentence: The proper education of children is considered important in every country. Related to this sense, education refers to the specific level or type of instruction a person has received.Used in a sentence: He has a high school education. Education also means the specific knowledge or scholarship a person has acquired from being taught.Real-life examples: Doctors have an education in medicine. Chemists have an education in chemistry. Bankers have an education in finance or economics.Used in a sentence: She has an education in languages and is fluent in French and Italian. Education is also used to refer to the process or institution of teaching in general.Real-life examples: Most teachers have college degrees in education. Nations often devote a portion of their budget to education.Used in a sentence: My brother decided to pursue a career in education.
Related Words
Education, training imply a discipline and development by means of study and learning. Education is the development of the abilities of the mind (learning to know): a liberal education. Training is practical education (learning to do) or practice, usually under supervision, in some art, trade, or profession: training in art, teacher training. Education, culture are often used interchangeably to mean the results of schooling. Education, however, suggests chiefly the information acquired. Culture is a mode of thought and feeling encouraged by education. It suggests an aspiration toward, and an appreciation of high intellectual and esthetic ideals: The level of culture in a country depends upon the education of its people.
Other Word Forms
- antieducation adjective
- noneducation noun
- overeducation noun
- preeducation noun
- proeducation adjective
- supereducation noun
Etymology
Origin of education
First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French, from Latin ēducātiōn-, stem of ēducātiō “a rearing, bringing up,” literally “a leading out,” equivalent to ēducāt(us) ( educate ) + -iō -ion
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.
All other national agencies also sprang into wartime mode, with the education ministry cancelling all classes and the aviation authority halting all flights in and out of the country.
From Barron's
Yet, before she passes her high school threshold and dives into the brutal deep end of upper secondary education, it’s all cool.
From Salon
As public funding for higher education has eroded, universities have increasingly turned to wealthy donors to underwrite major projects and supplement budgets by endowing professorships and research centers.
From Salon
He promised a "health and care service that works" and an education system "focused on equipping every pupil with essential life skills".
From BBC
Veteran attorney and education activist Virgil Roberts questioned the board’s action unless members have information that has not been made public — which, he added, seems unlikely given the secrecy of the federal investigation.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
