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Synonyms

learn

American  
[lurn] / lɜrn /

verb (used with object)

learned, learnt, learning
  1. to acquire knowledge of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience.

    to learn French;

    to learn to ski.

  2. to become informed of or acquainted with; ascertain.

    to learn the truth.

  3. to memorize.

    He learned the poem so he could recite it at the dinner.

  4. to gain (a habit, mannerism, etc.) by experience, exposure to example, or the like; acquire.

    She learned patience from her father.

  5. (of a device or machine, especially a computer) to perform an analogue of human learning with artificial intelligence.

  6. Nonstandard. to instruct in; teach.


verb (used without object)

learned, learnt, learning
  1. to acquire knowledge or skill.

    to learn rapidly.

  2. to become informed (usually followed byof ).

    to learn of an accident.

learn British  
/ lɜːn /

verb

  1. (when tr, may take a clause as object) to gain knowledge of (something) or acquire skill in (some art or practice)

  2. (tr) to commit to memory

  3. (tr) to gain by experience, example, etc

  4. (intr; often foll by of or about) to become informed; know

  5. not_standard to teach

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

learn Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing learn


Usage

What are other ways to say learn?

To learn something is to acquire knowledge of it through study or experience. How does learn compare with discover, ascertain, and detect? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

  • learnable adjective
  • mislearn verb
  • outlearn verb (used with object)
  • relearn verb

Etymology

Origin of learn

First recorded before 900; Middle English lernen, Old English leornian “to learn, read, ponder” (cognate with German lernen ); akin to lesan “to glean” (cognate with German lesen “to read”). See lear

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.

Some have closed or switched to virtual learning, threatening to diminish postpandemic academic gains.

From The Wall Street Journal

"It really shows how much we still have to learn about planets, even in our own solar system," Yang said.

From Science Daily

There are stretches of life that invite experimentation, when the kitchen feels like a place to play: new recipes, unfamiliar flavors, the pleasant friction of learning something from scratch.

From Salon

And analysts have suggested that Iran learned from that conflict, adapting its tactics as the war progressed.

From BBC

I wondered if it was just my teenagers, whose eyes glaze over every time my husband and I urge them to learn more about AI.

From The Wall Street Journal