study
Americannoun
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application of the mind to the acquisition of knowledge, such as by reading, investigation, or reflection.
Long hours of study had made her an expert.
- Synonyms:
- consideration, thought, reading, research, inquiry
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the cultivation of a particular branch of learning, science, or art.
The study of law is challenging for many.
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Often studies. a personal effort to gain knowledge.
She made many sacrifices to pursue her studies.
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something the mind is or will be applied to.
Balzac's study was human nature.
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research or a detailed examination and analysis of a subject, phenomenon, etc..
She made a study of the transistor market for her firm.
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a written account of detailed research, examination, or analysis.
He published a study of Milton's poetry.
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a well-defined, organized branch of learning or knowledge.
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zealous endeavor or assiduous effort.
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the object of endeavor or effort.
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deep thought, reverie, or a state of abstraction.
He was lost in study and did not hear us come in.
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a room, in a house or other building, set apart for private intellectual effort, reading, writing, or the like.
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Also called étude. Music. a composition that combines exercise in technique with a greater or lesser amount of artistic value.
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Literature.
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a literary composition executed for exercise or as an experiment in a particular method of treatment.
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such a composition dealing in detail with a particular subject, as a single main character.
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Art. something produced as an educational exercise, as a memorandum or record of observations or effects, or as a guide for a finished production.
She made a quick pencil sketch of his hands as a study for the full portrait in oils.
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a person, such as an actor, considered in terms of their quickness or slowness in memorizing lines.
He's always been a quick study.
verb (used without object)
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to apply oneself to the acquisition of knowledge, as by reading, investigation, or practice.
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to apply oneself; endeavor.
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to think deeply, reflect, or consider.
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to take a course of learning, as at a college.
verb (used with object)
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to apply oneself to acquiring a knowledge of (a subject).
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to examine or investigate carefully and in detail.
to study the political situation.
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to observe attentively; scrutinize.
to study a person's face.
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to read carefully or intently.
to study a book.
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to endeavor to learn or memorize, as a part in a play.
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to consider, as something to be achieved or devised.
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to think out, as the result of careful consideration or devising.
verb
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to apply the mind to the learning or understanding of (a subject), esp by reading
to study languages
to study all night
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(tr) to investigate or examine, as by observation, research, etc
to study the effects of heat on metal
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(tr) to look at minutely; scrutinize
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(tr) to give much careful or critical thought to
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to take a course in (a subject), as at a college
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(tr) to try to memorize
to study a part for a play
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(intr) to meditate or contemplate; reflect
noun
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the act or process of studying
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( as modifier )
study group
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a room used for studying, reading, writing, etc
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(often plural) work relating to a particular discipline
environmental studies
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an investigation and analysis of a subject, situation, etc
a study of transport provision in rural districts
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a product of studying, such as a written paper or book
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a drawing, sculpture, etc, executed for practice or in preparation for another work
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a musical composition intended to develop one aspect of performing technique
a study in spiccato bowing
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theatre a person who memorizes a part in the manner specified
a quick study
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in a reverie or daydream
Synonym Usage
Study, consider, reflect, weigh imply fixing the mind upon something, generally doing so with a view to some decision or action. Study implies an attempt to obtain a grasp of something by methodical or exhaustive thought: to study a problem. To consider is to fix the thought upon something and give it close attention before making a decision concerning it, or beginning an action connected with it: to consider ways and means. Reflect implies looking back quietly over past experience and giving it consideration: to reflect on similar cases in the past. Weigh implies a deliberate and judicial estimate, as by a balance: to weigh a decision.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonstudynoun
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restudynoun
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studiernoun
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outstudyverb (used with object)
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prestudyverb (used with object)
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studiableadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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studysimple
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studiessimple
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have studiedperfect
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has studiedperfect
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am studyingprogressive
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are studyingprogressive
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is studyingprogressive
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have been studyingperfect progressive
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has been studyingperfect progressive
Past
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studiedsimple
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had studiedperfect
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was studyingprogressive
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were studyingprogressive
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had been studyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of study
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English noun studi(e), from Old French estudie, from Latin studium, equivalent to stud(ēre) “to be busy with, devote oneself to, concentrate on” + -ium -ium; verb ultimately derivative of Latin noun
Explanation
It might seem as if you've gone catatonic, staring at a crack in the sidewalk for so long, but really you're observing it as closely as possible for your study of ant movement. Study has many different senses related to learning or concentrating. You might make a drawing of something you'll paint later — the drawing's a study. Your boss might ask you to do a study of your office's energy use. As a verb, study is for the work you do in the library, or for the act of really taking something in, the way you study your friend's face to see if she really forgot your birthday or if she's just joking.
Vocabulary lists containing study
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 1
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"Return to Titanic" and "Talking with Robert Ballard"
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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:
China is now viewed more positively than the US in many countries around the world, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
In the new study, Zhou and colleagues used super-resolution imaging on neurons grown in the laboratory and found that the MPS behaves more like a cellular traffic controller, regulating all major forms of endocytosis.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
Examples include the "study mode" built into OpenAI's ChatGPT, or "guided learning" in Google's Gemini.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Solar has grown from just 10% of the total in the same month five years ago as EU members step up the pace of solar-panel installation, the study shows.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
As a school study, it was known as ‘orthography’.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Meanwhile, sizing studies done on the SPR in the 1970s recommended an inventory minimum of 250 million barrels.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
"The decision-makers now know practically everything there is to know about the saltworks," the 57-year-old said, referring to the numerous studies and plans discussed by governments over the years.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Wolk said numerous prior studies have demonstrated the product’s effectiveness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
"We're back to where we were initially, where the question was: who's got more patience?" said Elliot Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Cornelius agreed to a brief break in Maggie’s studies.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
No other factor that I studied, including trends in inflation, interest rates or the overall market, had any ability to forecast whether small-cap relative strength would continue.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
Maya is a graduate of Brown University and the Watson School of International and Public Affairs, where she studied biology and security.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
They studied neurons grown in petri dishes and caused selected proteins to form inside the cells so those proteins could be tracked.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
As a Korean immigrant whose second language is English, she said she studied hard for the test last July and had felt very accomplished when she passed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
The other two made apologies as well, using the socially useful phrases they had studied so diligently.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Harvard’s Greg Mankiw, who led George W. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers, is one of three on the panel studying how the Fed understands and responds to inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
An influential UC admissions committee abruptly pulls back its road map for studying whether the university should reinstate SAT tests in admissions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
A Royal Society Research professor, he has spent decades studying the ocean's role in climate.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
But the metric draws heavily from Tuesday’s data, so Fed economists will be studying the report closely to decipher underlying trends.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
You see, he didn’t understand that the man was not just looking at the Cold, Cold Ocean but studying it, in all its rawness, unobstructed.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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.
