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
But for those schools, and for the third service academy, Air Force, the portal only goes in one direction: out.
—
Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024
The nonprofit also boasts a construction academy with training programs for young people and low-income individuals.
—Sydney Franklin, The Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2024
Yamal rocketed through the club’s famous La Masia academy, a bubble of sporting excellence and support that shaped legends Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, and Sergio Busquets.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Legends begins in a martial arts academy, where Chan’s martial arts instructor from the 2010 film shows up to recruit the movie’s young star, Ben Wang.
—Sean Piccoli, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2024
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Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024
The nonprofit also boasts a construction academy with training programs for young people and low-income individuals.
—Sydney Franklin, The Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2024
Yamal rocketed through the club’s famous La Masia academy, a bubble of sporting excellence and support that shaped legends Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, and Sergio Busquets.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Legends begins in a martial arts academy, where Chan’s martial arts instructor from the 2010 film shows up to recruit the movie’s young star, Ben Wang.
—Sean Piccoli, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for academy
Dictionary Entries Near academy
Cite this Entry
“Academy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/academy. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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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