educate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
educates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
educated,
past participle, past
-
educating
present participle
-
to develop the faculties and powers of (a person) by teaching, instruction, or schooling.
- Synonyms:
- indoctrinate, drill, school, instruct
-
to qualify by instruction or training for a particular calling, practice, etc.; train.
to educate someone for law.
-
to provide schooling or training for; send to school.
-
to develop or train (the ear, taste, etc.).
to educate one's palate to appreciate fine food.
-
to inform.
to educate oneself about the best course of action.
verb (used without object)
-
educates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
educated,
past participle, past
-
educating
present participle
verb
-
(also intr) to impart knowledge by formal instruction to (a pupil); teach
-
to provide schooling for (children)
I have educated my children at the best schools
-
to improve or develop (a person, judgment, taste, skills, etc)
-
to train for some particular purpose or occupation
Synonym Usage
See teach.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
educatesimple
-
educatessimple
-
have educatedperfect
-
has educatedperfect
-
am educatingprogressive
-
are educatingprogressive
-
is educatingprogressive
-
have been educatingperfect progressive
-
has been educatingperfect progressive
Past
-
educatedsimple
-
had educatedperfect
-
was educatingprogressive
-
were educatingprogressive
-
had been educatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of educate
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English educate, educatyn, from Latin ēducātus “brought up, nurtured, taught” (past participle of ēducāre ), equivalent to ē- + -duc-, variant of dūc- “to lead” + -ātus see e- 1, -ate 1
Explanation
To educate is to teach, train, or inform someone. Teachers educate students. If the word educate makes you think of children, you're not far off. It comes from the Latin word educare meaning to "bring up, rear.” In the 1500s, Shakespeare borrowed it to mean "schooling." These days, any time you're in a classroom listening to a lecture, reading a book, or speaking with a teacher, you're being educated. Teachers educate students all the way from preschool to graduate school. Almost any experience can educate if you learn from it.
Vocabulary lists containing educate
Lead the Way: Duc and Duct
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ate
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: duc, duct
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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.
See Examples For:
"Often they can be tourism or hospitality businesses, so they're having to educate their customers what to do."
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
The key precaution is to educate the judiciary of these dangers, and this work is underway.
From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2026
“People are asking artists to show up, educate themselves and be in community. To use the stage for more than entertainment,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
It teamed up with the Federal Bureau of Investigation this summer to educate job seekers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
But if I have to educate Richard some, I can do that too.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
Last year, none of the substantial number of homeless students it educates were chronically absent, school officials said, a goal they hope to maintain as school opens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
This includes homeownership, and Compass also educates tenants “on financial education, understanding markets, and understanding how investing works,” she said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
Wasim, who learned more about it through asking doctors questions and social media, said she now educates her mum, who also has PMOS, on ways to manage symptoms.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
It educates us in many arcane worlds of arts and crafts, quilts, chairs, pickle crocks and other items whose value really can be in the eye of the beholder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
“This city is a paradise, Tally. It feeds you, educates you, keeps you safe. It makes you pretty.”
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
Hominin fossils are so rare that generally the differences between them are huge, and researchers are left to make educated guesses regarding what existed in the missing parts of the fossil record.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
I have some pretty good educated guesses about what happened.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
"People are not properly educated in the fact that the non-league is actually a really high quality and that is also an indirect goal of mine with this match," he adds.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
“I do believe that my children would have been able to reclassify much earlier if the law had changed earlier and if I, as a mother, would have educated myself earlier,” Carbajal Salmerón said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Here was a woman with impeccable Yankee credentials, who had been educated at elite colleges and had few living family members or other attachments.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
"We haven't done a very good job of educating people about how much electricity and water we use," Pestridge said.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
If someone wants to remain independent, they need to continue educating themselves about the changing world we live in as seniors.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
In her practice she often treats clientele with the latest luxury wellness technologies, and she creates online content educating the public on her cutting-edge practices — including the BioCharger.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Indeed, the Canvas learning management system, chosen by non-teachers and non-writers, had nothing to do with educating, reading or writing.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
“I’m educating the experts here,” Burry crowed in an e-mail.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
