academy

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noun acad·e·my \ ə-ˈka-də-mē \

Definition of academy

plural academies

1 a :a school usually above the elementary level; especially :a private high school

b :a high school or college in which special subjects or skills are taught

c :higher education —used with the

the functions of the academy in modern society

2 capitalized

a :the school for advanced education founded by Plato

b :the philosophical doctrines associated with Plato's Academy

3 :a society of learned persons organized to advance art, science, or literature

4 :a body of established opinion widely accepted as authoritative in a particular field

See academy defined for English-language learners

See academy defined for kids

Examples of academy in a Sentence

an academy of the fine arts

Recent Examples of academy from the Web

In his first season under the Sporting KC brand, Busio featured for the academy’s Under-18, U-16 and U-14 teams and totaled nine goals.

— sam mcdowell, kansascity, "Just 15, Gianluca Busio was ‘relentless in pursuing’ career with Sporting KC," 25 Aug. 2017
Vista High School — Vargas’ alma mater — will transform to a personalized learning academy this fall, thanks to a $10 million innovation grant from XQ: The Super School Project.

— deborah sullivan brennan, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Former Vista student comes full circle as school trustee," 1 Aug. 2017
Among the academies that have invested in their galleries are Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and Duke, which will open a $50 million arts center this fall.

— leena kim, Town & Country, "A New Breed of University Art Museum Is Springing Up Across the Country," 24 July 2017
The white people have their own school, Ms Haymer says matter-of-factly, referring to a private Christian academy on the outskirts of town.

— The Economist, "Separate and unequalAn ingenious bid to force improvements in Mississippi schools," 13 July 2017
The difference with the DTR was that its leader, Beebe—a bestselling author and star in his own right who was a good friend of well-known performers, politicians, and tycoons—wanted his work to reach beyond the academy.

— rosa inocencio smith, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Daily: High-Stakes Hearing," 12 July 2017
Wildstein also is helping another former Yankee, Charlie Hayes, run a non-profit baseball academy.

— david voreacos, Bloomberg.com, "Christie’s ‘Enforcer’ Should Avoid Prison in Bridgegate, Prosecutors Say," 11 July 2017
Another brother, Colin, plays for the Sockers FC academy team.

— matt le cren, Naperville Sun, "Naperville's Devin Lynch gets call from U-15 national soccer team," 27 June 2017
The government's professed motive is to make the academy's work more efficient.

— vladimir pokrovsky, Science | AAAS, "Putin tightens control over Russian Academy of Sciences," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'academy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Our word academy comes from the Greek word Akademeia, the name of the park or grove outside of ancient Athens where the philosopher Plato taught his students. Just as schools and parks today are often named after famous persons, the Akademeia had been named in honor of a Greek hero, Akademos.

Origin and Etymology of academy

in sense 2, borrowed from Latin Acadēmīa, borrowed from Greek Akadḗmeia, Akadēmía, from the name of the gymnasium near Athens where Plato taught, from Akádēmos, Attic mythological hero + -eia or -ia ²-y; in senses 1, 3, and 4 borrowed from French, Italian, & New Latin; French académie, borrowed from Italian & New Latin; Italian accademia, borrowed from New Latin academia, going back to Latin Acadēmīa

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1549

See Words from the same year

academy Synonyms

Synonyms

academe, school, seminary

Other Education Terms

baccalaureate, colloquium, corequisite, dissertation, monograph, pedant, practicum, survey course, thesis

ACADEMY Defined for English Language Learners

academy

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noun

Definition of academy for English Language Learners

: a school that provides training in special subjects or skills
: a private high school
: an organization of people who work to support art, science, or literature

ACADEMY Defined for Kids

academy

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noun acad·e·my \ ə-ˈka-də-mē \

Definition of academy for Students

plural academies

1 :a private high school

2 :a high school or college where special subjects are taught

a military academy

3 :an organization which supports art, science, or literature

History for academy

In ancient Greece, a philosopher named Plato started a school at a public exercise field. The field and nearby groves of trees were named for a hero of Greek legend. The English word academy came from the name of the hero for whom Plato's school was named.