university

American  

[yoo-nuh-vur-si-tee] / ˌyu nəˈvɜr sɪ ti /

noun

universities plural

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.

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university British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

noun

• universities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of university

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

Compare meaning

How does university compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• State College vs. university

Explanation

A university is a big school where you go to get a degree — maybe even a master’s or PhD. If you’re going to a university, you’re probably on a big campus that also offers housing for students and professors. Just like the word universe (“the whole world”), university comes from the Latin word universus, meaning "whole, entire." So think of a university as being sort of a world of its own — an institute of higher education where you live and study. A university generally offers advanced degrees and research opportunities in many fields. Sometimes college and university are used to mean the same thing, but colleges are typically smaller and more limited in scope than universities.

Example Sentences

She said Henry had been the first grandchild of her elderly parents to go to university and it was a moment that had "filled all of us with immense pride".

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

NCAR, which is housed in an imposing Brutalist building that dominates the skyline in Boulder, a university town, is a world leader in the development of weather and climate models.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

An honest university works hard to advance students who are ready for the workload.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

According to Dinesh Sah, a meteorologist at the university, the district has seen temperatures of 48-49C before.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

Five of them were teenagers, university students of Serbian descent who had been born and raised in Bosnia.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• academy
• institution
• school