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 government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under pressure to generate more jobs for the millions of new university graduates entering the job market each year.

From The Wall Street Journal

The USC board of trustees said it unanimously voted for Kim, 53, the university’s former general counsel who previously worked as a federal prosecutor, to immediately take over the role.

From Los Angeles Times

She wanted to go to university but discovered there would be no scholarship to pay for it.

From Literature

If we consider the customer to be potential employers, it is easier to see where universities must focus attention.

From The Wall Street Journal

The escalation followed months of closed-door, on-off negotiations between the university and the White House.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• academy
• institution
• school