educate

verb

ed·​u·​cate ˈe-jə-ˌkāt 

educated; educating

transitive verb

1

a

: to provide schooling for

chose to educate their children at home

b

: to train by formal instruction and supervised practice especially in a skill, trade, or profession

2

a

: to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically especially by instruction

b

: to provide with information : inform

educating themselves about changes in the industry

3

: to persuade or condition to feel, believe, or act in a desired way

educate the public to support our position

intransitive verb

: to educate a person or thing

Synonyms

• indoctrinate
• instruct
• lesson
• school
• teach
• train
• tutor

Choose the Right Synonym for educate

teach, instruct, educate, train, discipline, school mean to cause to acquire knowledge or skill.

teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

Examples of educate in a Sentence

Parents trust schools to educate their children.

The job of our public schools is to educate.

Recent Examples on the Web

Many astronomers, like Christopher Sirola from the University of Southern Mississippi, even view eclipses as an opportunity to harness public captivation to educate about the science behind the phenomenon. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024

Under Michigan law, children must be educated in mathematics, reading, English, science, and social studies. —Allison Torres Burtka and Hannah Dellinger, Detroit Free Press, 5 Apr. 2024

Some iftars aim to educate Other iftars are held in private spaces, allowing guests to have more candid discussions about polarizing issues. —Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024

Vilnius’s 14 Soviet-era Russian-language schools now educate about 11,500 pupils — a 20 percent increase over the last three years — a concerning trend, officials say, in a nation that has long centered its national identity on Lithuanian language. —Tomas Dapkus, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024

Plenty of information to help educate unfamiliar or first-time Pet CBD buyers. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024

There’s a theme of who gets access to the arts, and who is able to go to these beautiful locations and educate [themselves]. —Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation takes care of educating those children. —Vera Bergengruen, TIME, 1 Apr. 2024

In addition to his Washington obligations, Frost is out on the road a fair amount, consulting and educating on the topic of wine. —David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to rear, from Latin educatus, past participle of educare to rear, educate, from educere to lead forth — more at educe

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing educate

• self-educate

Kids Definition

educate

verb

ed·​u·​cate ˈej-ə-ˌkāt 

educated; educating

1

: to provide schooling for

2

a

: to develop the mind and morals of especially by instruction

b

: train entry 2 sense 2a

educator

-ˌkāt-ər

noun