1
: existing or functioning outside or beyond the walls, boundaries, or precincts of an organized unit (such as a school or hospital)
2
chiefly British : of, relating to, or taking part in extension courses or facilities

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Extramural contains the Latin extra-, meaning "outside" or "beyond". The walls in extramural are usually those of schools, colleges, and universities, and the word is often seen in phrases like "extramural activities" and "extramural competition", referring to things that involve the world beyond the campus. Some institutions use the term "extramural study" for what others call "distance learning"—that is, teaching and learning by means of Web connections to the classroom and to videos of lectures. Money that flows into universities to support research (from foundations, government institutes, etc.) is usually called "extramural income".

Examples of extramural in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The internal firings are disrupting NIH’s extramural program, which oversees $39 billion a year in grants to researchers at institutions across the country. Byjocelyn Kaiser, science.org, 21 Feb. 2025 Just a day after Tabak’s abrupt retirement, it was reported that Michael Lauer, deputy director of the National Institutes of Health’s extramural research, will leave the agency at the end of the week. Joseph Choi, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of extramural was in 1854

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Cite this Entry

“Extramural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extramural. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

Medical Definition

extramural

adjective
: existing or functioning outside or beyond the walls, boundaries, or precincts of an organized unit
extramural medical care provided by hospital personnel
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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