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
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to improve or develop (a person, judgment, taste, skills, etc)
-
to train for some particular purpose or occupation
Related Words
See teach.
Other Word Forms
- overeducate verb (used with object)
- preeducate verb (used with object)
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 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.
According to Jaros, this visibility helps educate the public on the complexities and specifics of the marine animal rehabilitation process.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
"As part of our commitment to road safety, we are continually working with schools throughout Northern Ireland to educate pupils about road safety and raise awareness," he said.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
It is also a founding member of the VPN Trust Initiative and collaborates with cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt to refine breach response protocols and educate users on data safety.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026
The former model, mother to the president's youngest son, 20-year-old Barron, went on to talk about how humanoid-based artificial intelligence would soon be used to educate children.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
We, the nuclear hostages—all the peoples of the Earth—must educate ourselves about conventional and nuclear warfare.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
