university

noun

uni·​ver·​si·​ty ˌyü-nə-ˈvər-sə-tē 

-ˈvər-stē

plural universities

1

: an institution of higher learning providing facilities for teaching and research and authorized to grant academic degrees

specifically : one made up of an undergraduate division which confers bachelor's degrees and a graduate division which comprises a graduate school and professional schools each of which may confer master's degrees and doctorates

2

: the physical plant of a university

Examples of university in a Sentence

I applied to several public universities.

He lives near the university.

Recent Examples on the Web

But on that day, the 38-year-old who majored in philosophy in his university studies and his brother Volodymyr both volunteered for the front. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Criminal infrastructure runs on commandeered systems, including hospital servers, university networks, and small business routers. — Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026

This exciting university city emanates a vibrant, youthful energy that’s reflected in its abundance of top-notch restaurants, cafés, and bars. — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026

The drugs were brought to the university in State College from Philadelphia and New York, the state attorney general's office says. — Michael Guise, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English universite, from Anglo-French université, from Medieval Latin universitat-, universitas, from Latin universus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing university

• anti-university
• go to university
• inter-university
• pre-university
• state university

Rhymes for university

• adversity
• diversity
• perversity
• biodiversity
• polydispersity

Kids Definition

university

noun

uni·​ver·​si·​ty ˌyü-nə-ˈvər-sət-ē 

-ˈvər-stē

plural universities

: a school that offers courses leading to a degree (as a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree) and where research is done