Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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:

Comedian Rosie Jones, and actors Liz Carr and Ruth Madeley are among dozens of prominent disabled people in the arts, media and academia who have signed the open letter to MPs.

From BBC Aug. 14, 2026

The controversy around Arday appears to have divided the Cambridge campus and wider academia.

From Barron's Aug. 14, 2026

"But I really appreciate her telling us because I think it's really nice to see neurodivergent people in academia because it isn't a thing we see or hear very much."

From BBC Aug. 11, 2026

In 1994 he left academia to bring machine learning to Wall Street, then founded SCT Capital, one of the first hedge funds built entirely on machine-driven trading.

From MarketWatch Jul. 27, 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

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training