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academy

noun
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acad·​e·​my | \ ə-ˈka-də-mē How to pronounce academy (audio) \
plural academies

Definition of academy

1a : 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 thethe 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
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Synonyms for academy

Synonyms

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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.

Examples of academy in a Sentence

an academy of the fine arts
Recent Examples on the Web A week later, Singh tested the boy's skills at his own cricket academy and the rest is history. — Vedika Sud, CNN, "Once a homeless street vendor, 18-year-old cricketer Yashasvi Jaiswal has now been signed in a $327,000 deal," 18 Sep. 2020 Mike Pennington, principal of the online iPride Academy, thanked teachers, staff and parents of the academy’s approximately 100 students for continuing efforts to ensure remote-learning success. — cleveland, "Hints of normalcy emerge as Independence School District begins fall term," 16 Sep. 2020 Derkach is a graduate of a Russian spy academy who, the Treasury Department says, maintains close ties to Russian intelligence services. — Eric Tucker, Anchorage Daily News, "US charges Russian with plot to create election distrust," 10 Sep. 2020 Derkach is a graduate of a Russian spy academy who, the Treasury Department says, maintains close ties to Russian intelligence services. — Arkansas Online, "Russian, Ukrainian lawmaker accused of election interference," 10 Sep. 2020 Derkach is a graduate of a Russian spy academy who, the Treasury Department says, maintains close ties to Russian intelligence services. — Eric Tucker, chicagotribune.com, "Russian, Ukrainian lawmaker accused of interfering in the US presidential election," 10 Sep. 2020 The bulk of the academy’s new standards seek to address these disparities, albeit in language that is sometimes bureaucratically clunky. — Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, "The Oscars have always had a checklist. At least now it’s in writing.," 10 Sep. 2020 Taylor said her academy has already had about eight teachers apply. — Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Two online charter schools in Utah see massive jumps in enrollment during pandemic," 19 Aug. 2020 There, the teachers of the dance academy seem suspicious to Simón and Inés, especially after David petitions to move into the school as a boarder. — Christian Lorentzen, Harper's Magazine, "Coetzee’s Radical Masterpiece," 18 Aug. 2020

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.

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First Known Use of academy

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for 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 -y entry 2; 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

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Time Traveler for academy

Time Traveler

The first known use of academy was in 1549

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Statistics for academy

Last Updated

26 Sep 2020

Cite this Entry

“Academy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/academy. Accessed 26 Sep. 2020.

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More Definitions for academy

academy

noun
How to pronounce academy (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of academy

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

See the full definition for academy in the English Language Learners Dictionary

academy

noun
acad·​e·​my | \ ə-ˈka-də-mē How to pronounce academy (audio) \
plural academies

Kids Definition of academy

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on academy

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for academy

Nglish: Translation of academy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of academy for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about academy

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