Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

educate

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of educate

1 to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field
  • a revered professor of astronomy who is credited with educating many of today's leading astronomers
Synonyms of educate

indoctrinate, instruct, lesson, school, teach, train, tutor
Words Related to educate

coach, mentor

drill, fit, ground, habilitate, prepare, prime, qualify

direct, guide, lead, rear

catechize, lecture, moralize, preach

implant, inculcate, instill (also instil)

homeschool

edify, enlighten

brief, familiarize, impart (to), inform, verse

initiate, introduce, show

reeducate, reschool, reteach, retrain
2 to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding
  • the belief that parents better educate their children by example than by sending them to Sunday school
Synonyms of educate

edify, enlighten, illume, illuminate, illumine, inspire, nurture
Words Related to educate

elevate, ennoble, enrich, ensoul, lift, uplift

better, improve, regenerate, renew, transform

exalt, glorify, transfigure
Near Antonyms of educate

confuse, perplex, puzzle

becloud, cloud, darken, obscure

Synonym Discussion of educate

teach, instruct, educate, train, discipline, school mean to cause to acquire knowledge or skill. teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.
    • taught us a lot about our planet
instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.
    • instructs raw recruits in military drill
educate implies development of the mind.
    • more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person
train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.
    • trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft
discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.
    • a disciplined mind
school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.
    • schooled the horse in five gaits

Learn More about educate

  1. See words that rhyme with educate Dictionary: Definition of educate Spanish Central: Translation of educate Nglish: Translation of educate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of educate for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up educate? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

orthography

Listen to the pronounciation of orthography

the way words of a language are spelled

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. crawdad New novel makes waves

  2. non sequitur, sequitur Manafort judge addresses defense

  3. trope AOC tweets against border wall

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games