academy

[uh-kad-uh-mee]

noun

plural

academies 

1. a secondary or high school, especially a private one.

   My daughter goes to a very exclusive academy in Chicago.

2. a school or college for special instruction or training in a subject.

   a military academy.

3. an association or institution for the advancement of art, literature, or science.

   the National Academy of Arts and Letters.

4. a group of authorities and leaders in a field of scholarship, art, etc., who are often permitted to dictate standards, prescribe methods, and criticize new ideas.

5. the Academy,

   1. the Platonic school of philosophy or its adherents.

   2. academe.

   3. French Academy.

   4. Royal Academy.

   5. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Academy

¹

/ əˈkædəmɪ /

noun

1. 1. the grove or garden near Athens where Plato taught in the late 4th century _bc

   2. the school of philosophy founded by Plato

   3. the members of this school and their successors

2. short for the French Academy Royal Academy

academy

²

/ əˈkædəmɪ /

noun

1. an institution or society for the advancement of literature, art, or science

2. a school for training in a particular skill or profession

   a military academy

3. a secondary school: now used only as part of a name, and often denoting a private school

Word History and Origins

Origin of academy¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English achademye, achadomye, from Latin Acadēmīa, the name of the public gymnasium near Athens, sacred to the hero Academus, where Plato established his school of philosophy; from Greek Akadēmía, variant of Akadḗmeia, noun use of feminine adjective Akadḗmeios, derivative of Akádēm(os) + -eia adjective suffix; Academus; -y ³ ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of academy¹

C16: via Latin from Greek akadēmeia name of the grove where Plato taught, named after the legendary hero Akadēmos

Example Sentences

“Preparation for the Next Life” is the narrative feature debut of Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Liu.

From Los Angeles Times

His son Thiago is in Arsenal's academy and Sterling wants to avoid disrupting his family life again.

From BBC

On leaving, she failed to gain a place at the Royal Academy of Music, and instead went to Miss Hubler's Finishing School in Oxford.

From BBC

Ball, the Orange County pediatrician, said he’s going to start focusing on vaccine recommendations from medical societies such as the American Academy of Pediatrics.

From Los Angeles Times

“As we enter respiratory virus season, any barrier to COVID-19 vaccination creates a dangerous vulnerability for children and their families,” Dr. Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• boarding school 
• institute 
• prep school 
• secondary school 
• seminary