Definition of learn
learned
play play \ˈlərnd, ˈlərnt\;learning
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 playb : to come to be able learn to dancec : to come to realize learned that honesty paid
2a nonstandard : teachb 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
learner
nounExplore M-W
Can learn mean teach?
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 of learn from the Web
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Calderon didn’t learn about the charges against Frodsham until long afterward.
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OPEC should learn from the U.S. Federal Reserve and do more to explain its long-term oil-output policies instead of just focusing on short-term goals, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
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The hotels are typically in urban settings that are destinations for travelers seeking a new experience, Ms. Poulos said, different from a hotel in a suburb where travelers are not necessarily staying over to learn something new.
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Detectives learned that Morgan is the father of a baby belonging to one of the sisters.
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Race Day provides some extra practice while learning the more competitive side of skateboarding.
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Deborah Crosby, now 58, was only six when she was sent home from the first grade to learn her father was presumed dead, though his body had not been found.
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A group of art students at Wilmot Elementary School in Deerfield are learning how to turn both the process of painting and the creation itself into a gift for others.
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Parents saw it and called the Sheriff’s Department about 5:45 p.m. Detectives contacted the boy and his parents and learned that the pistol was a BB gun, Cole said.
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.
Origin and Etymology of learn
Middle English lernen, from Old English leornian; akin to Old High German lernēn to learn, Old English last footprint, Latin lira furrow, track
First Known Use: before 12th century
Synonym Discussion of learn
LEARN Defined for English Language Learners
learn
playDefinition of learn for English Language Learners
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: to gain knowledge or skill by studying, practicing, being taught, or experiencing something
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: to cause (something) to be in your memory by studying it
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: to hear or be told (something) : to find out (something)
LEARN Defined for Kids
learn
playDefinition of learn for Students
learned
\ˈlərnd\ alsolearnt
\ˈlərnt\;learning
1 : to get knowledge of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience I'm learning a foreign language.
2 : memorize Actors have to learn their lines.
3 : to become able through practice Babies learn to walk.
4 : to come to realize and understand You must learn right from wrong.
5 : to find out I finally learned what had happened.
6 : to gain knowledge The children were eager to learn.
learner
nounMedical Dictionary
Learn More about learn
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See words that rhyme with learn Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for learn Spanish Central: Translation of learn Nglish: Translation of learn for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of learn for Arabic speakers
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