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.
To all USC administrators, donors and Trojans family: If your head coach finishes a football game at the collegiate level with negative rushing yards, he should be fired before the plane boards!
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
I think that it is time to close down all fraternities across the USA collegiate scene.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
By creating a level playing field at the federal level, the Protect College Sports Act will benefit student athletes and preserve the spirit of competition that defines collegiate sports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Often the mood around the table is described as collegiate, even if ministers disagree on an issue.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
He had moved on to become an athletic trainer for collegiate football and track-and-field teams and, most recently, the athletic trainer for the world champion Chicago White Sox in 1906.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
