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

Six of the seven individual plaintiffs were ultimately found responsible for violating FIU Regulation 110, which bans protests and other expressive activities inside university buildings. — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

The opening of the veterinary school makes A-State one of just eight universities in the nation with both a medical school and a college of veterinary medicine on the same campus, according to White. — Arkansas Online, 11 Aug. 2026

The Berlin Wall had just come down and the school was the brainchild of a very large, very loud private university entrepreneur from Seattle. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026

Thus, when the National Research Act of 1974 became law, requirements for ethics reviews leaned on local IRBs and saddled local universities and research organizations with the financial and legal risks of reviewing research protocols. — Angus Chen, STAT, 11 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