learning

[ lur-ning ]

noun

1. the act or process of acquiring knowledge or skill:

   Students exhibit a clear love of learning, enjoying the relationships they have with their teachers.

2. knowledge acquired by systematic study in any field of scholarly application:

   She enjoys showing off her learning to her parents.

3. Psychology. the modification of behavior through practice, training, or experience.
4. Usually learnings. something that is learned through education or experience:

   Parents can help set up expectations, nurture curiosity, cultivate discipline, and reinforce learnings.

learning

/ ˈlɜːnɪŋ /

noun

1. knowledge gained by study; instruction or scholarship
2. the act of gaining knowledge
3. psychol any relatively permanent change in behaviour that occurs as a direct result of experience

Other Words From

• un·learn·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of learning¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English lerning, Old English leornung; learn, -ing ¹

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

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.

From 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.

From Quartz

When schools began transitioning to remote learning, students’ needs changed, too.

From 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.

From Quartz

Indeed, there may be no way to stop the rise of machine learning, but there’s still time to prepare.

From Fortune

What is most troubling is our – and I do mean “our” and not “their” – never treating these situations as learning opportunities.

From The Daily Beast

In the absence of typical classrooms and curriculums, West Africans have opted for alternate methods of learning and education.

From The Daily Beast

These tests prod and poke the children, creating lots of anxiety and taking away from the joy of learning.

From The Daily Beast

He is honest about his religious doubts, but he is committed to learning more about God.

From The Daily Beast

And Glenn, Tara, and Rosita spend the episode, um, learning to fish.

From The Daily Beast

All our intelligent students will insist upon learning what they can of these discussions and forming opinions for themselves.

From Project Gutenberg

Thomas Cooper, an English prelate, died; highly commended for his great learning and eloquence.

From Project Gutenberg

He was a patriot of the noblest and most extensive views, and justly celebrated as a man of learning, eloquent and refined.

From Project Gutenberg

It has only been a rare and exceptional class hitherto that has gone on learning throughout life.

From Project Gutenberg

At twelve, or fifteen, or sixteen, or twenty it was decided that they should stop learning.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• culture
• information
• literature
• research
• schooling
• science
• study
• training

More About Learning

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.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to learning?

• unlearning (adjective)

What are some synonyms for learning?

• education
• schooling
• study
• knowledge
• information

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

• learn
• learning curve
• learning disability
• distance learning

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

• school
• college
• teaching
• student
• information
• scholarship

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