educate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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)
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ate
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: duc, duct
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
“We’re not coming to educate about the Holocaust in order to fight antisemitism, strengthen German democracy, liberalism, tolerance and peace-seeking policies, but will it help? I have no doubt about it,” Dayan said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
Her petition, which calls for an NHS campaign to educate older women on how they self-refer for a mammogram, has been signed by more than 70,000 people.
From BBC • Jun. 27, 2026
The key, Cassidy noted, is for parents to educate their children about the potential these early investments have and to establish guidelines for how to use the money.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 26, 2026
"This is not the time for the BBC to retreat from its public service commitments and its core mission to inform, educate, and entertain," she said.
From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026
“I do. It’s not your job to educate the ignorant.”
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
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.
