academically

adverb

ac·​a·​dem·​i·​cal·​ly ˌa-kə-ˈde-mi-k(ə-)lē 

: in an academic way: such as

a

: with regard to formal studies or academics

doing well academically

academically advanced students

And it has made them more appealing to colleges, which have grown more welcoming as they find that homeschoolers do fine academically.

—Linda Perlstein

… fans and coaches at academically elite institutions would say that, yes, they were handicapped by stricter admissions policies, but in the long run, brains win out over brawn.

—Mark Bechtel

b

: in a theoretical or speculative way without practical application

That scheme for bottling beer is interesting—but only academically. Down here, we don't bottle it, but drink it.

—H. L. Mencken

c

: in a way that conforms to the tradition or rules of a school (as of literature or art)

The big problems arise with his paintings as artworks. His audacity with the brush is vitiated by academically fussy composition.

—Peter Schjeldahl

Examples of academically in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The first semester at the three campuses is a test for Austin ISD, which is on the verge of implementing similar plans next school year at 12 more campuses that have struggled academically. —Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026

Franz has described the difficulty of balancing academic performance with outside obligations, noting that he was academically dropped during his first semester after becoming distracted from coursework. —Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026

Players must leave their previous school academically eligible and cannot be subject to disciplinary suspension or dismissal. —Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026

Even before starting college, Neves Valente had made a strong impression academically. —Tomás Guerreiro, NBC news, 19 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1626, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for academically

• biochemically
• epistemically
• photochemically
• chemically
• systemically