academy

noun acad·e·my \ ə-ˈka-də-mē \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

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

The academy is best known for awarding the Nobel Prizes in physics and chemistry.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Superstar cancer researcher Tony Hunter of Salk Institute wins award, makes new finding," 4 Apr. 2018
Six police officers were reinstated in their jobs, and Hogan finally graduated from the police academy.

— ellen airhart, WIRED, "The Hairy Problem With Drug Testing," 1 Apr. 2018
Construction began the following year in Colorado Springs, and the academy’s first class graduated in 1959.

— baltimoresun.com, "This Day in History: April 1: President Dwight Eisenhower signed the bill that created the US Air Force Academy," 1 Apr. 2018
The officer graduated from the academy about a year ago.

— Fox News, "Jersey City police officer fatally shot while off duty," 26 Mar. 2018
The officer graduated from the academy about a year ago.

— CBS News, "Jersey City police found dead at home," 26 Mar. 2018
Some people believe the golden age has gone, that the academy is no longer producing the Piqués, the Messis, the Xavis.

— vivienne walt, Fortune, "FC Barcelona's Gerard Piqué Talks World Cup, Barça Future," 21 Mar. 2018
Schulz’s stories won him recognition among Poland’s elite, including a major award from the Polish academy of literature, but the last years of his life were overshadowed by anxiety.

— ruth franklin, WSJ, "Review of Bruno Schulz’s ‘Collected Stories’: Return to the Street of Crocodiles," 15 Mar. 2018
From an academy in a foreign land to a spring training Major League clubhouse.

— jeff seidel, Detroit Free Press, "Eduardo Jimenez has grown up in many ways in Detroit Tigers organization," 9 Mar. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

academy Synonyms

Synonyms

school, seminary;

elementary school, grammar school, high school, junior high school, kindergarten, middle school, primary school, public school, secondary school, senior high school, trade school, training school;

charter school, magnet school, minischool;

Other Education Terms

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

ACADEMY Defined for English Language Learners

academy

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

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.