university

[yoo-nuh-vur-si-tee]

noun

plural

universities 

1. an institution of learning of the highest level, having a college of liberal arts and a program of graduate studies together with several professional schools, as of theology, law, medicine, and engineering, and authorized to confer both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Continental European universities usually have only graduate or professional schools.

university

/ ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsɪtɪ /

noun

1. an institution of higher education having authority to award bachelors' and higher degrees, usually having research facilities

2. the buildings, members, staff, or campus of a university

Other Word Forms

• universitarian noun
• antiuniversity adjective
• counteruniversity noun
• interuniversity adjective
• nonuniversity noun
• preuniversity adjective
• prouniversity adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of university¹

1250–1300; Middle English universite < Old French < Medieval Latin ūniversitās, Late Latin: guild, corporation, Latin: totality, equivalent to ūnivers ( us ) ( universe ) + -itās -ity

Word History and Origins

Origin of university¹

C14: from Old French universite, from Medieval Latin universitās group of scholars, from Late Latin: guild, society, body of men, from Latin: whole, totality, universe

Example Sentences

"I still had two boys at home, one just about to go to university, the other one thinking about what he was going to do, education wise."

Read more on BBC

Heavy rains lashed the region again last month, forcing the closure of schools and universities, disrupting rail and road travel and causing localised flooding.

Read more on Barron's

A spinoff from the university is commercializing the patch with federal funding.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

It has also funded university and vocational training for 41 of the children.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

See its plan to make H-1B visas too expensive for all but the largest companies, and the campaign to reduce the number of foreign students at U.S. universities.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• academy 
• institution 
• school