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Synonyms

teaching

American  
[tee-ching] / ˈti tʃɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act or profession of a person who teaches.

  2. something that is taught.

  3. Often teachings. doctrines or precepts.

    the teachings of Lao-tzu.
teaching British  
/ ˈtiːtʃɪŋ /

noun

  1. the art or profession of a teacher

  2. (sometimes plural) something taught; precept

  3. (modifier) denoting a person or institution that teaches

    a teaching hospital

  4. (modifier) used in teaching

    teaching aids
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonteaching adjective
  • self-teaching adjective

Etymology

Origin of teaching

First recorded in 1125–75, teaching is from the Middle English word teching. See teach, -ing 1

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.

Pacheco is always prepared, whether jumping out of planes or teaching life lessons to football players.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

The shift in approach followed a consultation in 2023 involving academic researchers, teaching organisations, public agencies and municipalities.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

She has also been teaching emergency departments across the world about the large impact space travel can have on an astronaut's body, including the immune and cardiovascular systems.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

But I’d twice postponed a trip I’d planned with my husband to Spain and Morocco, and I didn’t want to put it off it again, which I’d have to do if I kept teaching.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Everything on this island was slowly showing me how distorted such perceptions were; slowly teaching me that the earth was not just for us but for all the creatures on it.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

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.