learning

[ lur-ning ]

/ ˈlɜr nɪŋ /

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See synonyms for: learning / learnings on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act or process of acquiring knowledge or skill: Students exhibit a clear love of learning, enjoying the relationships they have with their teachers.

knowledge acquired by systematic study in any field of scholarly application: She enjoys showing off her learning to her parents.

Psychology. the modification of behavior through practice, training, or experience.

Usually learnings. something that is learned through education or experience: Parents can help set up expectations, nurture curiosity, cultivate discipline, and reinforce learnings.

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Question 1 of 7

Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?

First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.

First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.

First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.

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Origin of learning

First recorded before 900; Middle English lerning, Old English leornung; see origin at learn, -ing¹

synonym study for learning

2. Learning, erudition, lore, scholarship refer to knowledge existing or acquired. Learning is the most general term. It may refer to knowledge obtained by systematic study or by trial and error: a man of learning; learning in the real world. Erudition suggests a thorough, formal, and profound sort of knowledge obtained by extensive research; it is especially applied to knowledge in fields other than those of mathematics and physical sciences: a man of vast erudition in languages. Lore is accumulated knowledge in a particular field, especially of a curious, anecdotal, or traditional nature; the word is now somewhat literary: nature lore; local lore. Scholarship is the formalized learning that is taught in schools, especially as actively employed by a person trying to master some field of knowledge or extend its bounds: high standards of scholarship in history.

OTHER WORDS FROM learning

un·learn·ing, adjective

Words nearby learning

learned helplessness, learned profession, learned society, learner, learner's chain, learning, learning curve, learning difficulties, learning disability, learning-disabled, learning management system

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

VOCAB BUILDER

What is a basic definition of learning?

Learning is the act of acquiring new knowledge or is the knowledge that has been gained through study. The word learning is also a form of the verb learn.

Learning refers to the process of gaining new knowledge or mastering new skills. Let’s say you want to know how to speak Spanish. You might have a Spanish instructor teach you how to speak it or you might read a lot of books about how to speak Spanish. Both of these strategies are examples of learning. Learning is the counterpart to teaching.

Real-life examples: Schools and colleges are places of learning because students go there to gain new knowledge. Not every child has a love of learning, and many will avoid studying or hate going to school. Compared to other animals, humans are especially good at learning.
Used in a sentence: We created a video game that makes learning fun.

The word learning can also mean the knowledge or skills that a person has gained.

Used in a sentence: She is very smart and always manages to impress me with her impressive learning.

Where does learning come from

The first records of learning come from before the 900s. It ultimately comes from the Old English leornung and is formed from the verb learn.

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What are some other forms related to learning?

unlearning (adjective)

What are some synonyms for learning?

What are some words that share a root or word element with learning?

What are some words that often get used in discussing learning?

How is learning used in real life?

Learning is a common word that most often means the act of gaining knowledge.

The National Education Union has today advised its members in primary schools that it is unsafe to return on Monday and has called for online learning instead.

I fully support this move.

Solidarity @NEUnion!

— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) January 2, 2021

Lightfoot says her love of learning was nurtured by libraries in her Ohio home town.

— Fran Spielman (@fspielman) July 1, 2020

Life isn't all about rainbows and sunshine. Tough times need Tough solutions – my learning as Finance Minister

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) May 5, 2020

Try using learning!

Which of the following places is most likely to involve learning?

A. police station
B. shopping mall
C. elementary school
D. post office

Example sentences from the Web for learning

I thought I caught sight of one recently when Richard Barrera, a school board member for San Diego Unified School District, said online learning had opened up new possibilities for students in lower-income areas.
When a Calculus Class Abruptly Became Ceramics at Lincoln High|Scott Lewis|September 16, 2020|Voice of San Diego
The startup’s main value proposition is that it makes it easier and cheaper for businesses to analyze data they’ve shelved away on the cloud—including the massive datasets needed to train machine learning algorithms.
Snowflake’s IPO is a bet on companies using AI for everything|Nicolás Rivero|September 16, 2020|Quartz
When schools began transitioning to remote learning, students’ needs changed, too.
How to drive digital innovation necessary during the pandemic|Nick Chasinov|September 16, 2020|Search Engine Watch
The app provides an endless scrollable feed of short, user-generated videos, surfaced by a machine learning system that tracks what you watch and interact with.
TikTok’s enormous value isn’t just in its algorithm|Adam Epstein|September 15, 2020|Quartz

Indeed, there may be no way to stop the rise of machine learning, but there’s still time to prepare.
When it comes to A.I., worry about ‘job churn’ instead of ‘job loss’|jonathanvanian2015|September 15, 2020|Fortune
What is most troubling is our – and I do mean “our” and not “their” – never treating these situations as learning opportunities.
In 2015, Let’s Try for More Compassion|Gene Robinson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In the absence of typical classrooms and curriculums, West Africans have opted for alternate methods of learning and education.
The Radio Battle to Educate Ebola’s Kids|Abby Haglage|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These tests prod and poke the children, creating lots of anxiety and taking away from the joy of learning.
Hunger Games Comes to New York State’s Public Schools|Zephyr Teachout|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He is honest about his religious doubts, but he is committed to learning more about God.
The Good Wife’s Religion Politics: Voters Have No Faith in Alicia's Atheism|Regina Lizik|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And Glenn, Tara, and Rosita spend the episode, um, learning to fish.
The Walking Dead’s ‘Crossed’: The Stage Is Now Set for a Bloody, Deadly Midseason Finale|Melissa Leon|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All our intelligent students will insist upon learning what they can of these discussions and forming opinions for themselves.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
Thomas Cooper, an English prelate, died; highly commended for his great learning and eloquence.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
He was a patriot of the noblest and most extensive views, and justly celebrated as a man of learning, eloquent and refined.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
It has only been a rare and exceptional class hitherto that has gone on learning throughout life.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
At twelve, or fifteen, or sixteen, or twenty it was decided that they should stop learning.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

British Dictionary definitions for learning

learning

/ (ˈlɜːnɪŋ) /

noun

knowledge gained by study; instruction or scholarship

the act of gaining knowledge

psychol any relatively permanent change in behaviour that occurs as a direct result of experience

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

Medical definitions for learning

learning

[ lûr′nĭng ]

n.

The act, process, or experience of gaining knowledge or skill.

Knowledge or skill gained through schooling or study.

Behavioral modification, especially through experience or conditioning.

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learning

noun

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Origin of learning

synonym study for learning

OTHER WORDS FROM learning

Words nearby learning