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• academy
  academy

  noun

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

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• academies
  plural

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

See Examples For:

academy Academy academies

The churn has frustrated the nonprofit academy, which wanted a consistent partner to help bolster its relationships with advertisers, talent and viewers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Appleton had worked in West Brom's academy and knew Rogers was one of the most highly rated prospects there.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

The answer is the academy he now runs with Dre Comers, located near Metro’s Chinatown station, providing art instruction to tens of thousands of people.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

In an earlier tribute, Chelsea said it was "devastated" to learn of the death of Newton, who once played for the club's academy.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

Mother stammered, choking on the word when she saw Jonas dressed for academy.

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys

At the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art she finally found what she calls her tribe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

The actor, who scored an Academy Award for her starring role in the hit film "Anora," said she shares "a lot of the same sensibilities" and concerns voiced by White.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy, said the deal gives the ceremony "unprecedented global reach", allowing audiences in more than 200 countries to watch live.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

The findings were presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2026 National Conference & Exhibition Oct. 2-6, 2026, at the San Diego Convention Center.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

I hadn’t realized that I’d miss her like I did, and having that one connection back to the Academy made me feel more grounded in this new space.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Those drafted must compete for roster spots with top foreign talent, including Dominican teens who come out of the island’s Major League team academies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Powerhouse football club Flamengo called the move a "heavy blow to Brazilian sports," warning it could impact not only professional football, but youth academies, women's soccer, Olympic sports and various championships.

From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026

Eyeball takes north of 2,000 data points every match, typically from leading amateur clubs and elite academies who film and upload their fixtures.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

After playing for youth academies such as Arsenal, West Ham United and Chelsea, Gabriel signed with Manchester United at age 11.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

Though exhausted, ill, and anxious about the voyage ahead, they carried evidence of a vast, teeming, interconnected ecosystem of plants and insects, the likes of which the great European academies had never seen.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

Related Words

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