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• academy
  academy

  noun

  a secondary or high school, especially a private one.
• Academy
  Academy

  noun

academy

American  

[uh-kad-uh-mee] / əˈkæd ə mi /

noun

academies plural

1. a secondary or high school, especially a private one.

   My daughter goes to a very exclusive academy in Chicago.

2. a school or college for special instruction or training in a subject.

   a military academy.

3. an association or institution for the advancement of art, literature, or science.

   the National Academy of Arts and Letters.

4. a group of authorities and leaders in a field of scholarship, art, etc., who are often permitted to dictate standards, prescribe methods, and criticize new ideas.

5. the Academy,

   1. the Platonic school of philosophy or its adherents.

   2. academe.

   3. French Academy.

   4. Royal Academy.

   5. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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Academy ¹ British  

/ əˈkædəmɪ /

noun

1. 1. the grove or garden near Athens where Plato taught in the late 4th century _bc

   2. the school of philosophy founded by Plato

   3. the members of this school and their successors

2. short for the French Academy Royal Academy

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academy ² British  

/ əˈkædəmɪ /

noun

1. an institution or society for the advancement of literature, art, or science

2. a school for training in a particular skill or profession

   a military academy

3. a secondary school: now used only as part of a name, and often denoting a private school

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Etymology

Origin of academy

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English achademye, achadomye, from Latin Acadēmīa, the name of the public gymnasium near Athens, sacred to the hero Academus, where Plato established his school of philosophy; from Greek Akadēmía, variant of Akadḗmeia, noun use of feminine adjective Akadḗmeios, derivative of Akádēm(os) + -eia adjective suffix; see origin at Academus; see also -y ³ ( def. )

Explanation

An academy is a fancy school, often one devoted to one subject or discipline, such as music or science. You can also use academy to describe the world of higher learning. If you show unusual gifts as a clarinetist, you should consider attending the music academy in the next town. That's where you'll learn the most about your art. It's a private school, the Goodman Academy of Music, named after Benny Goodman, who was the greatest jazz clarinetist ever. If you want to use academy in its other sense, try "Those home experiments are cool, but without peer review, the academy will never accept them as science." Darn academy.

Example Sentences

According to academy announcements, his remarks are expected to align with themes of military strength, institutional cohesion, and readiness.

From Salon • May 24, 2026

After Brown sent his résumé, the intermediary said Su wanted to send him to the “fighter weapons school,” an apparent reference to the Chinese air force’s aerial-combat academy.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

Wilson said the department currently has 200 vacant positions, plus an additional 100 officers who are in training, or at the academy, and unavailable for service.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

But the academy cannot do the heavy lifting.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

There was, however, one group of students in Chicago who did see a dramatic change: those who entered a technical school or career academy.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

Related Words

• boarding school
• institute
• prep school
• secondary school
• seminary