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 ) ( universe ) + -itās -ity

Compare meaning

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

• State College vs. university

Example Sentences

Like when she was rumoured to have been banned from North Carolina's athletic facilities and the university had to put out a statement saying she wasn't.

From BBC

San José State responded with a statement acknowledging that the Education Department had informed the university of its investigation and findings.

From Los Angeles Times

The Education Department’s recent launch of a portal for universities’ foreign-funding disclosures was even timelier than officials likely realized.

From The Wall Street Journal

A university cricket club has been suspended for the rest of the academic year, with players banned, following an investigation into reports of serious misconduct.

From BBC

"Because when you look at intelligence, nuclear weapons, and so on, we depend on the US," she said at Sciences Po university.

From Barron's

Related Words

• academy
• institution
• school