pupil

noun

ˈpyü-pəl How to pronounce pupil (audio)
Definition of pupilnext
1
as in student
one who attends a school generally there are 20 pupils in each class

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in adherent
one who follows the opinions or teachings of another to pupils of the philosopher Henry David Thoreau, the shores of Walden Pond are hallowed ground

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pupil The Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes, found that in 2025, just 36% of white British pupils on free school meals achieve a Grade 4 or above in English and Maths GCSE, compared with 72% of non-free school meal pupils. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 29 June 2026 Its automatic mode finds the eyes and yields well-delineated, jet-black pupils. — Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine, 29 June 2026 Missing out on that revenue could prompt the district to make notable cuts, given district expenses are continuing to rise, as reduced enrollment is affecting per-pupil funding and as the district has seen a decrease in federal funding, according to the district. — Sofi Zeman june 27, Kansas City Star, 27 June 2026 Orange County Public Schools, which lost 5,600 students this past year and expects to lose about another 3,000 students next year — meaning $26 million less in per-pupil funding. — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pupil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pupil
  1. student
  2. adherent
  3. scholar
  4. disciple
  5. follower
Noun
  • That's useful information for how students think about education, not just as a path to a diploma, but as a place to actually build the specific things an employer will test them on.
    — Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026
  • Wells, a student and wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College, did not.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of student
Noun
  • Baric worked closely with researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which many adherents to the lab-leak theory posit as the source of the pandemic; one contingent thinks that Baric might have been the creator of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
    — Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
  • Many liberals had been disciplined to adopt methods that purported to strictly confine legal interpretation, only to discover that their most prominent adherents, whether covertly or unconsciously, had other plans.
    — Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
Definition of adherent
Noun
  • Muhammad Taqi al-Hakim, a senior scholar at the Najaf seminary, led the funeral prayers at the Shrine of Imam Ali, the Prophet Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
  • In addition to Dafoe and Perkins, the advisory team includes documentary filmmaker Ariel Baska, Oscar-winning prosthetic makeup artist and Academy member Howard Berger, author and filmmaker Tananarive Due, and film scholar Angela Marie Smith.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 July 2026
Definition of scholar
Noun
  • Ng began learning tai chi in 1989 from Master Gene Chen, a disciple of Grandmaster Feng ZhiQiang.
    — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 13 July 2026
  • In 1985, Postman, a friend and disciple of McLuhan’s, published Amusing Ourselves to Death.
    — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of disciple
Noun
  • That’s not unusual among followers of Shia Islam, whose tradition is one of outward displays of faith.
    — Frederik Pleitgen, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • Across the country, agitators on the left and the right are increasingly flirting with antisemitic tropes, conspiracy theories and in-jokes to bring in new followers.
    — Will Carless, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Definition of follower

Browse Nearby Words

pupae
pupil
pupils
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pupil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pupil. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pupil

Nglish: Translation of pupil for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pupil

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