tuition
Americannoun
-
the charge or fee for instruction, as at a private school or a college or university.
The college will raise its tuition again next year.
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teaching or instruction, as of pupils.
a school offering private tuition in languages.
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Archaic. guardianship or custody.
noun
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instruction, esp that received in a small group or individually
-
the payment for instruction, esp in colleges or universities
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of tuition
1250–1300; Middle English tuicion a looking after, guarding < Latin tuitiōn- (stem of tuitiō ), equivalent to tuit ( us ) (past participle of tuērī to watch; cf. tutelage) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Tuition is a fee paid for instruction or teaching, usually for higher education. Many students need to get part-time jobs to pay their college tuition. The word tuition comes from the Anglo-French word tuycioun, meaning "protection, care, custody." Some people say college protects you from the "real world," at least while you are in school, but tuition is a reality all students face. Tuition can describe any payment made for instruction, however, even for a knitting class. That tuition can probably be covered without student loans or scholarships, though.
Vocabulary lists containing tuition
Nothing But the Truth
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The Distance Between Us
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Education and Academics, List 1
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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.
Tuition and fees have outpaced overall inflation for decades, and the strain is no longer theoretical.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Tuition at Paine College wasn’t easy on the family.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
Tuition is free, but it has slashed the accommodation available to students, and trainers expect many to drop out in the face of educational demands and financial pressures on their families.
From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025
Tuition at an in-state public university is, on average, $11,950 per year, according to data from the College Board.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 1, 2025
It read: “Kvothe. Spring term. Tuition: -3. Tin.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
