academy

[ uh-kad-uh-mee ]

noun

, plural a·cad·e·mies.

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 ( def 5 ).
   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

A recent class at the academy numbered just 23 — less than half the enrollment during the years when McDonnell was last at the LAPD.

From Los Angeles Times

In its press release, the Academy said the dictionary is a “mirror of an epoch running from the 1950s up to today,” and boasts 21,000 new entries compared to the 1935 version.

From BBC

Northgate High School and Ormiston Endeavour Academy, previously Thurleston High School, are in negotiations with the authority about taking on more pupils.

From BBC

He’s won two Grammy awards, one Academy of Country Music award and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019.

From Los Angeles Times

The effort kicked off with “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” Rock’s first live comedy special after being slapped by actor Will Smith at the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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