learnt
Americanverb
verb
Usage
And is learnt in the dictionary? Learnt is a word. It is the simple past tense and the past participle of the verb learn. Learnt causes some confusion because learned is also a valid form for the past tense and past participle of learn. Learned is more commonly used than learnt.
What's the past tense of learn?
The past tense of learn can be either learned or learnt, with learned being more common. For example:- Last night, she learned all her times tables by heart.
- Last night, she learnt her times tables by heart.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Initially, we were very excited when we learnt that many people have taken up keeping ants," Wang, assistant professor at Sichuan University, told the BBC.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
"We've learnt that due to sustained pressure, France has had to withdraw its invitation to South Africa to attend the G7 meeting," Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson to the president, told AFP.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
“I think, as you say, the textbook and what we’ve learnt from central banks through history is an oil-price shock is actually seen as more of a growth issue than an inflation issue,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026
He shared the news he had learnt a few hours before.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
Whatever I had learnt, had so slipped away from me in the sordid cares of my life from day to night, that now, when I was examined about what I knew, I knew nothing.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
