academy
noun
acad·e·my
ə-ˈka-də-mē 
plural academies
1
a
: a school usually above the elementary level
especially
: a private high school
b
: a high school or college in which special subjects or skills are taught
c
: higher education
—used with the
the functions of the academy in modern society
2
capitalized
a
: the school for advanced education founded by Plato
b
: the philosophical doctrines associated with Plato's Academy
3
: a society of learned persons organized to advance art, science, or literature
4
: a body of established opinion widely accepted as authoritative in a particular field
Did you know?
Our word academy comes from the Greek word Akademeia, the name of the park or grove outside of ancient Athens where the philosopher Plato taught his students. Just as schools and parks today are often named after famous persons, the Akademeia had been named in honor of a Greek hero, Akademos.
Examples of academy in a Sentence
an academy of the fine arts
Recent Examples on the Web
His brother, Thomas, was a star football player at Venice, went to the Air Force Academy, gave up the sport, became a boxer and recently won the academy’s heavyweight title.
—
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2025
Robinson’s overlap was not found, but the run disrupted Newcastle’s defensive line and helped create the space for the Arsenal academy graduates to combine.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
There are 18 years between the debuts of Gerrard and Alexander-Arnold, which is an indication of the frequency of such local players emerging from a youth academy in this manner.
—James Nalton, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Once proud to be the academy’s brightest prospect, Julie blanches when her kind new coach Backie (Pierre Gervais) stops practice so that the rest of the students can admire her footwork.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for academy
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Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2025
Robinson’s overlap was not found, but the run disrupted Newcastle’s defensive line and helped create the space for the Arsenal academy graduates to combine.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
There are 18 years between the debuts of Gerrard and Alexander-Arnold, which is an indication of the frequency of such local players emerging from a youth academy in this manner.
—James Nalton, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Once proud to be the academy’s brightest prospect, Julie blanches when her kind new coach Backie (Pierre Gervais) stops practice so that the rest of the students can admire her footwork.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for academy
Cite this Entry
“Academy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/academy. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
academy
noun
acad·e·my
ə-ˈkad-ə-mē
plural academies
1
a
: school entry 1 sense 1a
especially
: a private high school
b
: an institution for training in special subjects or skills
military academy
2
: an organization of people specializing in knowledge in a particular subject
Etymology
Greek Akadēmeia, the grove outside Athens where Plato had his school
Word Origin
Our word academy comes from the Greek word Akadēmeia, the name of the park or grove outside of ancient Athens where the philosopher Plato taught his students. Just as schools and parks today are often named after famous persons, the Akadēmeia had been named in honor of a Greek hero, Akadēmos.
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