adjective
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Also: collegial. of or relating to a college or college students
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(of a university) composed of various colleges of equal standing
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of collegiate
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Late Latin word collēgiātus. See college, -ate 1
Explanation
Collegiate describes anything to do with college life or college students. You might refer to the leagues in which college athletes compete as collegiate sports, or to students studying chemistry as collegiate scientists. While college is a noun, collegiate is an adjective used to describe anything associated with college. The word collegiate was once associated with the idea of ivy-covered walls and impeccably-dressed students earnestly discussing philosophy and art. Nowadays, it can just as easily refer to political demonstrations and raucous behavior, as all have become part of the collegiate world.
Vocabulary lists containing collegiate
The Parker Inheritance
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Boy21
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The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
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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.
Editor’s note: In this Future View, students discuss collegiate athletics and the Protect College Sports Act.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Direct compensation removes the focus of an undergraduate education as the core principle of collegiate athletics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Like Arthur Fery, his 2019 Wimbledon boys' doubles partners who shot up the rankings following an unexpected run to this year's SW19 semi-finals, Samuel has benefitted from the American collegiate system.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Disparities in pay and resources are still a battle in both women’s professional sports and at the collegiate and Olympic levels, as publicized advocacy by athletes such as Megan Rapinoe has revealed.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
The first collegiate crew race in America—and in fact the first American intercollegiate athletic event of any kind—took place between Harvard and Yale in 1852, on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
