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

About a decade ago, the district closed and overhauled Collins and fired educators at Chalmers and Johnson who had built relationships with families and temporarily handed the schools over to a private operator to try to turn them around academically. —Mila Koumpilova, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2025

Only 33% of high school seniors were considered academically prepared for college-level math courses, a decline from 37% in 2019. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025

Children who completed the Nuroe training at ages 6-7 were 50% more likely to gain admission to academically rigorous secondary schools three years later. —William Jones, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025

Nearly every grade that took Colorado’s standardized tests this spring saw literacy and math test scores rebound or surpass pre-pandemic levels, a further sign that students are recovering academically five years after COVID-19 closed schools. —Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1626, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for academically

• biochemically
• epistemically
• photochemically
• chemically
• systemically