university

American  

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

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.

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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

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

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

Amid the uncertainty, Lamas has taken a job with a local university -- outside the lab.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

He represented Great Britain at the Olympics as a rower after competing in the university Boat Race against Oxford as a student.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

Even if my generation overall was not particularly lucky when it came to higher education, those of us who did go to university really were the most spoiled of all.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

You have to love how the university spins virtue out of necessity.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

He’s got a boatload of colleges writing him letters, asking him to consider their university.

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper

Related Words

• academy
• institution
• school