academy

noun

acad·​e·​my ə-ˈka-də-mē How to pronounce academy (audio)
plural academies
1
a
: a school usually above the elementary level
especially : a private high school
b
: a high school or college in which special subjects or skills are taught
c
: higher education
used with the
the functions of the academy in modern society
2
capitalized
a
: the school for advanced education founded by Plato
b
: the philosophical doctrines associated with Plato's Academy
3
: a society of learned persons organized to advance art, science, or literature
4
: a body of established opinion widely accepted as authoritative in a particular field

Did you know?

Our word academy comes from the Greek word Akademeia, the name of the park or grove outside of ancient Athens where the philosopher Plato taught his students. Just as schools and parks today are often named after famous persons, the Akademeia had been named in honor of a Greek hero, Akademos.

Examples of academy in a Sentence

an academy of the fine arts
Recent Examples on the Web After completing the 10-day academy, volunteers are asked to commit a minimum of one six-hour patrol shift each week and attend a one-hour monthly meeting. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 May 2024 Some chapters had publishing wings; many led alternative academies in farming, offered debt relief and mortgage loan assistance, and created opportunities for cooperative exchange and distribution through the original food hubs. Faron Levesque, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for academy 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'academy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

in sense 2, borrowed from Latin Acadēmīa, borrowed from Greek Akadḗmeia, Akadēmía, from the name of the gymnasium near Athens where Plato taught, from Akádēmos, Attic mythological hero + -eia or -ia -y entry 2; in senses 1, 3, and 4 borrowed from French, Italian, & New Latin; French académie, borrowed from Italian & New Latin; Italian accademia, borrowed from New Latin academia, going back to Latin Acadēmīa

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of academy was in 1549

Dictionary Entries Near academy

Cite this Entry

“Academy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/academy. Accessed 28 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

academy

noun
acad·​e·​my ə-ˈkad-ə-mē How to pronounce academy (audio)
plural academies
1
a
: school entry 1 sense 1a
especially : a private high school
b
: an institution for training in special subjects or skills
military academy
2
: an organization of people specializing in knowledge in a particular subject
Etymology

Greek Akadēmeia, the grove outside Athens where Plato had his school

Word Origin
Our word academy comes from the Greek word Akadēmeia, the name of the park or grove outside of ancient Athens where the philosopher Plato taught his students. Just as schools and parks today are often named after famous persons, the Akadēmeia had been named in honor of a Greek hero, Akadēmos.

More from Merriam-Webster on academy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!