college

American  

[kol-ij] / ˈkɒl ɪdʒ /

noun

• colleges
  plural

1. an institution of higher learning, especially one providing a general or liberal arts education rather than technical or professional training.

2. a constituent unit of a university, furnishing courses of instruction in the liberal arts and sciences, usually leading to a bachelor's degree.

3. an institution for vocational, technical, or professional instruction, as in medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, or music, often a part of a university.

4. an endowed, self-governing association of scholars incorporated within a university, as at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England.

5. a similar corporation outside a university.

6. the building or buildings occupied by an institution of higher education.

7. the administrators, faculty, and students of a college.

8. (in Britain and Canada) a private secondary school.

9. an organized association of persons having certain powers and rights, and performing certain duties or engaged in a particular pursuit.

   The Electoral College formally selects the president.

10. a company; assemblage.

11. Also called collegium. a body of clergy living together on a foundation for religious service or similar activity.

12. British Slang. a prison.

---

college British  

/ ˈkɒlɪdʒ /

noun

1. an institution of higher education; part of a university

2. a school or an institution providing specialized courses or teaching

   a college of music

3. the building or buildings in which a college is housed

4. the staff and students of a college

5. an organized body of persons with specific rights and duties See also Sacred College

   an electoral college

6. a body of clerics living in community and supported by endowment

7. an obsolete slang word for prison

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• postcollege
  noun
• precollege
  noun
• subcollege
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• colleges
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of college

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Middle French, from Latin collēgium, from col- col- ¹ + lēg-, variant stem of legere “to choose, gather, read” + -ium -ium; cf. colleague

---

Explanation

In the US, people pursuing education after high school go to college––spending either two or four years earning an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree. Many colleges are housed within universities. College derives from the Latin collegium 'partnership, association.' While a university offers many programs leading to graduate degrees beyond a bachelor's degree, a college is undergraduate only. So if you want to pursue becoming a lawyer, a doctor, or a college professor, chances are college is just a weigh station on your route to graduate school.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

college colleges

But critics say the college was too lenient, and protests in several US cities last month demanded accountability.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

The midterm results have “enlarged the competitive map” for 2028, said Alex Keyssar, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, who has written books about voting rights and the electoral college.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Goldman said 28% of the group started their careers at the bank as interns, and 39% joined out of college.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

You probably traded some vacations or other luxuries to pay for college.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

A tall college kid sprints past us so fast, his body makes a breeze.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

A previous SFC report warned "insolvency remains an imminent risk" at some of the country's colleges.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

This report covers all of Scotland's 24 colleges - which are spread across 99 campuses and 270 buildings - and spans a 10-year period between 2027/28 and 2036/37.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

Winston’s priorities for the district include ensuring colleges are a pathway to opportunity and good jobs, that students can afford basic needs and that people historically shut out of higher education are let in.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

A growing group of elite liberal-arts colleges long known for eye-watering price tags is turning out to be quite the bargain for many students—and the schools want you to know it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

I want to be average, but I also want an A. I have to think about colleges for next year, and they will want to see more than my SAT scores.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---