learn

verb

\ ˈlərn

learned\ ˈlərnd

, ˈlərnt

\; learning

Definition of learn

transitive verb

1a(1) : to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience learn a trade learned to play chess

(2) : memorize learn the lines of a play

b : to come to be able learn to dance

c : to come to realize learned that honesty paid

2a nonstandard : teach

b obsolete : to inform of something

3 : to come to know : hear we just learned that he was ill

intransitive verb

: to acquire knowledge or skill or a behavioral tendency were shocked to learn of her death

Other Words from learn Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Can learn mean teach?: Usage Guide More Example Sentences Learn More about learn

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Synonyms & Antonyms for learn

Synonyms

get, master, pick up

Antonyms

unlearn

Choose the Right Synonym for learn

discover, ascertain, determine, unearth, learn mean to find out what one did not previously know. discover may apply to something requiring exploration or investigation or to a chance encounter. discovered the source of the river ascertain implies effort to find the facts or the truth proceeding from awareness of ignorance or uncertainty. attempts to ascertain the population of the region determine emphasizes the intent to establish the facts definitely or precisely. unable to determine the origin of the word unearth implies bringing to light something forgotten or hidden. unearth old records learn may imply acquiring knowledge with little effort or conscious intention (as by simply being told) or it may imply study and practice. I learned her name only today learning Greek

Can learn mean teach?: Usage Guide

Learn in the sense of "teach" dates from the 13th century and was standard until at least the early 19th. made them drunk with true Hollands—and then learned them the art of making bargains — Washington Irving But by Mark Twain's time it was receding to a speech form associated chiefly with the less educated. never done nothing for three months but set in his back yard and learn that frog to jump — Mark Twain The present-day status of learn has not risen. This use persists in speech, but in writing it appears mainly in the representation of such speech or its deliberate imitation for effect.

Examples of learn in a Sentence

People learn throughout their lives. I can't swim yet, but I'm learning. She's interested in learning French. We had to learn the rules of the game. I'm trying to learn my lines for the play. We had to learn the names of the state capitals. She learned through a letter that her father had died. I later learned that they had never called. We finally learned the truth about what had happened.

Recent Examples on the Web

Come learn about the economy, financial fitness and historical currency. — Kaitlyn Bancroft, The Know, "Bored and broke? Here are 10 things to do around Denver for $10 or less," 2 July 2019 Using these tools and others, researchers have learned that IDPs may help control droplet assembly, function and disassembly. — Elizabeth O'day, Scientific American, "A Special Class of Proteins Are Promising Targets for Drugs for Cancer and Alzehimer's," 1 July 2019 Dance Moms: Resurrection is all about Abby Lee Miller learning from past mistakes. — Mackenzie Dunn, Woman's Day, "Abby Lee Miller Kicked Brady Farrar Off the Team During This Week's 'Dance Moms'," 26 June 2019 At the heart of the device is what the company calls a machine learning algorithm. — Jack Gillum, ProPublica, "Aggression Detectors: The Unproven, Invasive Surveillance Technology Schools Are Using to Monitor Students," 25 June 2019 She's also taken early childhood welfare as one of her main causes, often advocating for children to get outdoors, or meeting with scientists to learn about the latest research in developmental neuroscience. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Kate Middleton Wears a Summery Dress and Espadrilles to a Royal Photographic Society Workshop," 25 June 2019 The teen program, which currently has 42 members, brings children together from schools across Miami-Dade County, not only to learn these fundamental skills, but to also meet others who are blind or visually impaired. — Catie Wegman, sun-sentinel.com, "White glove treatment: Teens 'see’ antique cars through touch," 19 June 2019 Read full terms and conditions Please access our Privacy Policy to learn what personal data Disqus collects and your choices about how it is used. — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "Neighbors’ feud erupts: Arson suspect tripped up by her own video," 18 June 2019 Albuquerque zoo officials are waiting for the necropsy results to learn why a young King penguin that had just arrived from SeaWorld Orlando eight days earlier has died, the Albuquerque Journal is reporting. — Gabrielle Russon, orlandosentinel.com, "Penguin from SeaWorld Orlando dies at New Mexico zoo," 18 June 2019

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