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Synonyms

academia

American  
[ak-uh-dee-mee-uh, -deem-yuh, -dem-ee-uh, -dem-yuh] / ˌæk əˈdi mi ə, -ˈdim jə, -ˈdɛm i ə, -ˈdɛm jə /

noun

  1. the milieu or interests of a university, college, or academy; academe.


academia British  
/ ˌækəˈdiːmɪə /

noun

  1. the academic world

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of academia

First recorded in 1945–50; from New Latin, Latin; see academy

Explanation

The world of colleges and universities is academia. Academia is the academic world. If you like school, then you might enjoy academia, which is also known as academe. People in academia include students — college and university students, specifically. Then there are the professors, who teach the students. That's not all professors do; they also research various subjects. Producing research is one of the major goals of academia. If you like thinking and learning and studying, academia could be the place for you.

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Vocabulary lists containing academia

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.

See Examples For:

Finding the content business more lucrative than any career he could expect in academia, he dropped out of school last year.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 2, 2026

IBM research director Jay Gambetta told Barron’s he welcomes federal involvement, seeing it as the state’s responsibility to consult with experts across academia and the private sector.

From Barron's Jun. 29, 2026

Catholicism, with its social teachings, offered him a bridge between the flawed individualism of his youth and the cold systems-analysis of liberal academia.

From Slate Jun. 18, 2026

He added: "These plaques are a wonderful recognition of the thousands of hours of dedication from so many brilliant scientists, engineers and technicians in industry and academia across the UK who made the mission possible."

From BBC Jun. 9, 2026

“The masters of the Temple of Lkossa read and write in the traditional language of academia, Old Zamani,” he explained.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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