teach
verb (used with object)
to impart knowledge of or skill in; give instruction in.
teach
1 American
[teech]
/ titʃ /
verb (used with object)
-
teaches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
taught,
past participle, past
-
teaching
present participle
-
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)
-
teaches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
taught,
past participle, past
-
teaching
present participle
noun
-
teaches
plural
Teach
2
American
[teech]
/ titʃ /
noun
teach
1
British
/ tiːtʃ /
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
Teach
2
British
/ tiːtʃ /
noun
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
teachsimple
-
teachessimple
-
have taughtperfect
-
has taughtperfect
-
am teachingprogressive
-
are teachingprogressive
-
is teachingprogressive
-
have been teachingperfect progressive
-
has been teachingperfect progressive
Past
-
taughtsimple
-
had taughtperfect
-
was teachingprogressive
-
were teachingprogressive
-
had been teachingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of teach
First recorded before 900; Middle English techen, Old English tǣcan; akin to token
Explanation
To teach is to transfer ideas or skills to another person. As an old saying goes, "Give someone a fish, they eat for a day, teach someone to fish and they eat for a lifetime." I hope they like seafood. The Old English word tǣcan, which became the Middle English techen, meant "to show or point out." But the Old English also had another word for teach — læran — which eventually became the modern "learn," with the current meaning of receiving knowledge rather than giving it. If someone tries to "teach you a lesson," he or she tries to punish you for something you've done in order that you won't do it again.
Vocabulary lists containing teach
Mother's Day Words: What Mothers Do
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 3)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
Sometimes the most effective way to teach people about ownership is to let them experience it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
But hear me out: These shows can teach us a lot about human behavior — especially when it comes to money.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
I wondered: Did that experience teach Harbaugh — who is just the fifth coach ever to win a college national title and also appear in a Super Bowl — anything?
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
That’s the kind of math no one can teach you: how to put the living, breathing needs of the people who rely on you ahead of any fantasy.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
They think we’re too young to teach them, but we plan to prove them wrong!
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Teach people that discernment requires looking behind the label, and eventually they may look behind yours, too.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
As a Teach for America corps member, Laura taught first graders in Houston.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Teach slavery and Reconstruction with the same seriousness as the Constitution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
The charity Now Teach, set up by former Financial Times columnist Lucy Kellaway after she trained as a teacher herself at the age of 58, said one solution lay in career changers.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2025
“What do they do? Teach them, or make them work, or what?”
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
Going after Colombian groups on the border is part of this year’s new phase of cooperation between the two countries, said John Polga-Hecimovich, who teaches Latin American politics and military matters at the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
Doran now teaches an esports course at Rowan University in New Jersey.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
About half of the student body at Da Vinci Communications, the public charter school where Jackson still teaches, is economically disadvantaged, according to U.S.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
After working for many years in India's luxury hotels, chef Shikha Gupta, who teaches bakery and pastry-making at Vatel, is pleased to see her classes have "as many men as women."
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
The seller teaches us Turkish as he hands over the food, wrapped in greaseproof paper.
From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell
I think that “Hijabs Off” taught me to have fun, to really trust myself in the moment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
They taught growing girls the timetable of dress—nightgown and wrapper; day dress and visiting; tea gown, dinner dress and evening gown—and gave them hands-on training with a wee wardrobe, which they often sewed themselves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
"I had no expectations – it just taught me to expect the unexpected," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
He does caveat that by saying how much he loved being part of the show and how much it "taught him" about himself.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
‘Children. Get up! I’ve taught you better than this!’ she shouts at us.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
He said he’ll be teaching a leadership class at West L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
“That requires patience, that requires a lot of coaching and teaching and buy-in, and so that whole process takes time.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
"Strategic investment in projects such as the Public Engagement and Discovery Centre are part of a commercial growth strategy to help generate income while providing teaching and research space to further enhance the student experience."
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
The students will also protest against the "endless budget cuts to teaching," Teresi said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
“Well,” Ivan said, reaching his hand out to shake hers again, “thanks for teaching me something new!”
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
