university

American  

[yoo-nuh-vur-si-tee] / ˌju 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

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• universities
  plural

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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

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Compare meaning

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

• State College vs. university

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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

See Examples For:

university universities

Drexel’s program specifically offers financial help for staff who plan to buy or renovate homes within a defined boundary in the city of Philadelphia, including Mantua, a neighborhood near the university.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026

“To get your child into an elite university these days seems more impossible than ever,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

Following the disrupted Colbert and Ma event, Paul Curran, managing director of the Harvard Office of Labor and Employee Relations, sent a letter addressed to union leadership Friday to reiterate university policies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

Both disciplines became part of the university in 1816, when they were included in the Faculty of Philosophy.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026

“I’ll keep a man out here until the university can hire its own security for the dig,” the sheriff promises.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Those grants would be awarded by a council of representatives from University of California campuses, universities and nonprofit research institutions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026

The organization now claims over 75,000 members across its various chapters and a presence at over 145 universities in the U.S. and Australia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2026

Megan says universities gave examples of repayments based on earnings of between £25,000 and £45,000 at open days and said graduates "wouldn't even notice the repayments because they should be minimal".

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Despite the intimidation, Giuffra said his client wants her lawsuit to transform how Cornell and other US universities deal with sexual assault.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

It was considered “the most expensive, most beautiful, and largest high school in the nation” and an excellent educational facility and academically graduated a high percentage of students who went on to top universities.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals

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Related Words

• academy
• institution
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