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

Brown University's review includes putting Rodney Chatman, the vice president for public safety and emergency management for the school on leave, effective immediately, the university's president announced on Monday. —Jason M. Volack, ABC News, 23 Dec. 2025

The university came under heavy criticism over the lack of security cameras on campus as investigators spent days canvassing the neighborhood outside the campus for surveillance video, amid a manhunt. —Louis Casiano , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 22 Dec. 2025

But Teamsters Local 320—made up of custodians, groundskeepers, and food-service workers at the university—had chosen that moment to go on strike. —Alex Abramovich, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025

For example, at certain universities, those with accommodations may have a professor warn them that they will be called upon to speak in class. —Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025

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