educate

verb

ed·​u·​cate ˈe-jə-ˌkāt How to pronounce educate (audio)
educated; educating

transitive verb

1
a
: to provide schooling for
chose to educate their children at home
b
: to train by formal instruction and supervised practice especially in a skill, trade, or profession
2
a
: to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically especially by instruction
b
: to provide with information : inform
educating themselves about changes in the industry
3
: to persuade or condition to feel, believe, or act in a desired way
educate the public to support our position

intransitive verb

: to educate a person or thing
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Example Sentences

Parents trust schools to educate their children. The job of our public schools is to educate.
Recent Examples on the Web Since then, the college has educated future military leaders including Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Gen. George Patton and Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Bobby Caina Calvan, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2023 The goal is the same: to educate and entertain the viewer. Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 26 May 2023 Wrapping up its second year of educating junior high school students, Explore Academy in Pine Bluff received a national award Wednesday to the surprise of many. I.c. Murrell, Arkansas Online, 24 May 2023 This was kind of my time to give back and to educate and really mentor and push forward Black women in this luxury sector in real estate. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 15 May 2023 The program educates members on the spiritual, psychological and financial impacts of addiction while also providing individual and family counseling, treatment planning and drug and alcohol testing. Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 12 May 2023 The good news is that there are local mushroom hunting groups that can educate you almost everywhere that edible mushrooms grow. Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 11 May 2023 The report’s authors looked to models in other cities that, instead of deploying armed police, have tackled traffic safety by reinvesting in street improvements and educating the public while exploring alternative methods for holding motorists accountable. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2023 The namesake son of the top scorer in NBA history played at Sierra Canyon School, which is known for educating scions of the sports and entertainment industries in Chatsworth, an outer suburban neighborhood of Los Angeles. Greg Beacham, BostonGlobe.com, 6 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'educate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to rear, from Latin educatus, past participle of educare to rear, educate, from educere to lead forth — more at educe

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of educate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near educate

Cite this Entry

“Educate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/educate. Accessed 8 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

educate

verb
ed·​u·​cate ˈej-ə-ˌkāt How to pronounce educate (audio)
educated; educating
1
: to provide schooling for
2
a
: to develop the mind and morals of especially by instruction
educator
-ˌkāt-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on educate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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