curriculum

American  

[kuh-rik-yuh-luhm] / kəˈrɪk yə ləm /

noun

plural

curricula, curriculums

1. the aggregate of courses of study given in a school, college, university, etc..

   The school is adding more science courses to its curriculum.

2. the regular or a particular course of study in a school, college, etc.

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curriculum British  

/ kəˈrɪkjʊləm /

noun

1. a course of study in one subject at a school or college

2. a list of all the courses of study offered by a school or college

3. any programme or plan of activities

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Usage

Plural word for curriculum The plural form of curriculum can be either curricula or curriculums, although curricula is more commonly used. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -um are also formed in the same way, including memorandum/memoranda, and bacterium/bacteria. Irregular plurals that are formed like curricula derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin. However, the usual plural -s ending is often also acceptable for many of these terms, as in curriculums and memorandums.

Other Word Forms

• curricular adjective
• precurriculum noun

Etymology

Origin of curriculum

First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin: “action of running, course of action, race, chariot,” equivalent to curr(ere) “to run” + -i- -i- + -culum -cule ²

Explanation

A curriculum is a set of courses designed to give expertise, like the shoemaking curriculum at Shoe U: Advanced Cutting, Hammering, and Stitching; History of the Heel; and A Cultural History of Walking. Curriculum comes from the Latin word for "running course," or "career," but when we talk about curriculum it's always about school. If you go to a school with a Liberal Arts curriculum, you'll get an education in the humanities with some science, but if you go to a technical school with a hard-core astrophysics curriculum, you probably won't have to take any courses on poetry.

Example Sentences

This curriculum involved storybooks featuring queer and gender-nonconforming characters.

From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026

The national institute outlines 10 quality benchmarks for preschools, related to teacher training, class size and curriculum.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

But now lessons from personal finance are being integrated into all areas of the Berea curriculum, where most students attend tuition-free and many get financial aid for room and board.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee report highlights "persistent financial pressure, limited facilities, a lack of prioritisation in the school curriculum, and an absence of national co-ordination that prevents the system from operating effectively".

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

They rewrote the curriculum from top to bottom, so that it only taught Nazi-approved ideas.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Related Words

• educational program
• syllabus