learning

noun

learn·​ing ˈlər-niŋ 

1

: the act or experience of one that learns

a computer program that makes learning fun

2

: knowledge or skill acquired by instruction or study

people of good education and considerable learning

3

: modification of a behavioral tendency by experience (such as exposure to conditioning)

4

: machine learning

Unsupervised learning, also known as unsupervised machine learning, uses machine learning algorithms to analyze and cluster unlabeled datasets. These algorithms discover hidden patterns or data groupings without the need for human intervention.

—IBM

Supervised machine learning requires labeled data to adjust the parameters of the model during training. … But without quality training data, supervised learning models will end up making poor inferences.

—Ben Dickson

Reinforcement machine learning trains machines through trial and error to take the best action by establishing a reward system. Reinforcement learning can train models to play games or train autonomous vehicles to drive by telling the machine when it made the right decisions, which helps it learn over time what actions it should take.

—Sara Brown

a learning system/model/algorithm

Synonyms of learning

• education
• knowledge
• literacy
• scholarship

Choose the Right Synonym for learning

knowledge, learning, erudition, scholarship mean what is or can be known by an individual or by humankind.

knowledge applies to facts or ideas acquired by study, investigation, observation, or experience.

rich in the knowledge of human nature

learning applies to knowledge acquired especially through formal, often advanced, schooling.

a book that demonstrates vast learning

erudition strongly implies the acquiring of profound, recondite, or bookish learning.

an erudition unusual even in a scholar

scholarship implies the possession of learning characteristic of the advanced scholar in a specialized field of study or investigation.

a work of first-rate literary scholarship

Examples of learning in a Sentence

a computer program that makes learning fun

different methods of foreign language learning

The first year of college was a learning experience.

They were people of good education and considerable learning.

Recent Examples on the Web

The district maintained the staffing levels to help students bounce back from pandemic learning loss and also support staff during the pandemic, Xagas said. —Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026

Burns, the education consultant, said AI was, in some ways, a natural extension of the argument tech companies have made about the need for computers in school, which is that students are able to learn at their own pace, or seek out information of interest to them to initiate their own learning. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026

When the car barreled in, there were 140 students inside in an early childhood learning center. —ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026

With fresh learnings from SVB and the banking operations of First Republic, JPMorgan doubled its revenue from startup banking in 2023, according to the company. —Hugh Son, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing learning

• associative learning
• book learning
• deep learning
• distance learning
• higher learning
• institution of higher learning
• learning curve
• learning difference
• learning difficulty
• learning disability
• machine learning
• paired-associate learning
• Reinforcement machine learning
• Supervised machine learning
• unsupervised machine learning

Rhymes for learning

• burning
• churning
• earning
• spurning
• turning
• yearning
• adjourning
• concerning
• discerning
• returning
• overturning

Kids Definition

learning

noun

learn·​ing

ˈlər-niŋ

1

: the act or experience of one that learns

2

: knowledge or skill acquired by instruction or study

Medical Definition

learning

noun

learn·​ing

: the process of acquiring a modification in a behavioral tendency by experience (as exposure to conditioning) in contrast to modifications occurring because of development or a temporary physiological condition (as fatigue) of the organism

also : the modified behavioral tendency itself