teach
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to impart knowledge of or skill in; give instruction in.
She teaches mathematics.
- Synonyms:
- coach
-
to impart knowledge or skill to; give instruction to.
He teaches a large class.
- Synonyms:
- coach, indoctrinate, school, drill, discipline, enlighten, inform
verb (used without object)
noun
noun
verb
-
to help to learn; tell or show (how)
to teach someone to paint
to teach someone how to paint
-
to give instruction or lessons in (a subject) to (a person or animal)
to teach French
to teach children
she teaches
-
(tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to cause to learn or understand
experience taught him that he could not be a journalist
-
Also: teach someone a lesson. informal to cause (someone) to suffer the unpleasant consequences of some action or behaviour
noun
Related Words
Teach, instruct, tutor, train, educate share the meaning of imparting information, understanding, or skill. Teach is the broadest and most general of these terms and can refer to almost any practice that causes others to develop skill or knowledge: to teach children to write; to teach marksmanship to soldiers; to teach tricks to a dog. Instruct almost always implies a systematic, structured method of teaching: to instruct paramedics in techniques of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Tutor refers to the giving of usually private instruction or coaching in a particular subject or skill: to tutor a child in ( a foreign language, algebra, history, or the like ). Train lays stress on the development of desired behaviors through practice, discipline, or the use of rewards or punishments: to train a child to be polite; to train recruits in military skills; to train a dog to heel. Educate, with a root sense of “to lead forth from,” refers to the imparting of a specific body of knowledge, especially one that equips a person to practice a profession: to educate a person for a high school diploma; to educate someone for the law.
Other Word Forms
- overteach verb
- preteach verb
- reteach verb
- teachable adjective
- underteach verb
Etymology
Origin of teach
First recorded before 900; Middle English techen, Old English tǣcan; akin to token
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.
She appeared in Vogue and People magazines, on national programs, like the “Today” show and “The Mike Douglas Show,” and traveled to teach around the country and as far afield as Australia and Moscow.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
I now use EganaGoldpfeil and Tack Fat as case studies in the college course I teach on ethics in finance.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
That helped teach investors and Wall Street analysts a lesson they won’t soon forget, said 3Fourteen’s Pies.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
Besides the vaccination drive, health authorities are also publishing infographics that teach people how to identify and prevent measles.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
“Whenever you say you like tell me one story, you mean you like teach me one lesson.”
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.
