learn
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to acquire knowledge of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience.
to learn French;
to learn to ski.
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to become informed of or acquainted with; ascertain.
to learn the truth.
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to memorize.
He learned the poem so he could recite it at the dinner.
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to gain (a habit, mannerism, etc.) by experience, exposure to example, or the like; acquire.
She learned patience from her father.
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(of a device or machine, especially a computer) to perform an analogue of human learning with artificial intelligence.
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Nonstandard. to instruct in; teach.
verb (used without object)
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to acquire knowledge or skill.
to learn rapidly.
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to become informed (usually followed byof ).
to learn of an accident.
verb
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(when tr, may take a clause as object) to gain knowledge of (something) or acquire skill in (some art or practice)
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(tr) to commit to memory
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(tr) to gain by experience, example, etc
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(intr; often foll by of or about) to become informed; know
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not_standard to teach
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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learnsimple
-
learnssimple
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have learnedperfect
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have learntperfect
-
has learnedperfect
-
has learntperfect
-
am learningprogressive
-
are learningprogressive
-
is learningprogressive
-
have been learningperfect progressive
-
has been learningperfect progressive
Past
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learnedsimple
-
learntsimple
-
had learnedperfect
-
had learntperfect
-
was learningprogressive
-
were learningprogressive
-
had been learningperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
To learn is to gain new knowledge or skills through study, practice or experience. You probably learn something every day. Whether you want to dance, understand chemistry, or know the alphabet backwards, you will have to learn. One of the most common ways to learn is through teachers and tutors, but people learn a lot from books, hobbies, jobs, and their families. Books and other reading material are a huge source of learning. Someone sent to prison learns they have to pay for their crime, but they might learn many things because they have plenty of time to read.
Vocabulary lists containing learn
President Obama's second inaugural address
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Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 3)
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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.
See Examples For:
Before investing in any mutual fund, be sure to do your own research to learn about any additional expenses, such as sales charges or redemption fees.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
It’s a delicate subject, but Mr. Trump can learn from his predecessors in Iraq and Afghanistan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
But Muñoz was shocked to learn that many Mexicans fear that the private collection’s future in Mexico may be in doubt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Baroness Lampard promised that bereaved families would be at the heart of the inquiry because she wanted to identify systemic failures which the country could learn from.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
I was starting to learn from Hannie, after all.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
At the conclusion of the chapter, after all the relevant evidence has been presented, the reader learns if the defendant was found guilty and whether Virginia’s governor commuted the judge’s sentence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
At the hospital, Jack learns that the man behind the wheel was Governor George McRyan, a presidential hopeful polling extremely well in the primaries, who left a campaign event with Sally as his escort.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
She said: "Integration isn't charity, it's common sense. A person who learns English or Welsh, finds work and contributes isn't actually a burden."
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
In an interview with the Financial Times, the Turing Award winner lamented that, although "he learns fast," Wang has "no experience with research" and was on "a dead end" quest.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Hums a low song about a bird with broken wings who learns to fly.
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
Before she learned to speak, Alison says she learned to make things: “It was our first language.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
"You have to enjoy the journey to get there. I've learned that the hard way at times by chasing results and records too much."
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Never mind that Argentina learned the game from English sailors, or that the two countries haven’t met in competition in 24 years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
I learned within a few weeks that the card wasn’t a good fit.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
In the morning I woke actually wet, and when I finally sat up in my blankets, I learned it had rained overnight and the basement had flooded.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
"It is with profound shock and a heavy heart that I have learnt of the passing of Jayden Adams," South Africa's minister of sport, arts and culture Gayton McKenzie said, in a statement.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
On Friday evening, Berlin state finance minister Stefan Evers was appointed to replace him as the CDU's lead candidate, AFP learnt from internal party sources.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Pizza Express held an internal inquiry into whether Andrew Mountbatten Windsor had visited its restaurant in Woking, BBC Newsnight has learnt.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
He was so obsessed, his childhood friends even nicknamed him "Abdi America" after he learnt to speak English by watching Hollywood movies.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
“Who praised me when I learnt my lesson?”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
Ryninks added that learning about UFO sightings in west Wales in the 1970s also inspired the project.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
July 2016: Gates celebrates “25 years of learning and laughter” with Buffett with a “virtual reality film” of the two men and a blog post.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
This process, called endocytosis, supports learning, memory, and the routine maintenance of neurons.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
"These findings are particularly concerning because persistence is foundational to skill acquisition and is one of the strongest predictors of long-term learning," the authors wrote.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Now I’m learning that I disappointed Tūtū, too?
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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.
