university

American  

[yoo-nuh-vur-si-tee] / ˌyu nəˈvɜr sɪ ti /

noun

plural

universities

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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university British  

/ ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsɪtɪ /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• antiuniversity adjective
• counteruniversity noun
• interuniversity adjective
• nonuniversity noun
• preuniversity adjective
• prouniversity adjective
• universitarian noun

Etymology

Origin of university

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

Compare meaning

How does university compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• State College vs. university

Example Sentences

The research was carried out jointly by scientists from the universities of Cambridge and Oxford and published in the journal Parasitology.

From Science Daily

From school and university canteens to football stadiums and theatres, venison is muscling in on beef as UK chefs hunt for greener options.

From Barron's

We now know both tuition fees and maintenance loans for university students in England will increase with inflation every year from 2026.

From BBC

Twenty-five years ago, two promising physicists graduated from a prestigious science university in Lisbon.

From The Wall Street Journal

As federal cuts threaten university funding, the increasingly lucrative offers from tech companies have only become more compelling.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• academy
• institution
• school