learn

[ lurn ]

verb (used with object)

, learned [lurnd] or learnt [lurnt], learn·ing [lur, -ning].

1. to acquire knowledge of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience:

   to learn French;

   to learn to ski.

2. to become informed of or acquainted with; ascertain:

   to learn the truth.

3. to memorize:

   He learned the poem so he could recite it at the dinner.

4. to gain (a habit, mannerism, etc.) by experience, exposure to example, or the like; acquire:

   She learned patience from her father.

5. (of a device or machine, especially a computer) to perform an analogue of human learning with artificial intelligence.
6. Nonstandard. to instruct in; teach.

verb (used without object)

, learned [lurnd] or learnt [lurnt], learn·ing [lur, -ning].

1. to acquire knowledge or skill:

   to learn rapidly.

2. to become informed (usually followed by of ):

   to learn of an accident.

learn

/ lɜːn /

verb

1. when tr, may take a clause as object to gain knowledge of (something) or acquire skill in (some art or practice)
2. tr to commit to memory
3. tr to gain by experience, example, etc
4. intr; often foll by of or about to become informed; know
5. not_standard.
   to teach

Derived Forms

• ˈlearnable, adjective

Other Words From

• learna·ble adjective
• mis·learn verb mislearned or mislearnt mislearning
• outlearn verb (used with object) outlearned or outlearnt outlearning
• re·learn verb relearned or relearnt relearning

Word History and Origins

Origin of learn¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English lernen, Old English leornian “to learn, read, ponder” (cognate with German lernen ); akin to lesan “to glean” (cognate with German lesen “to read”). See lear

Word History and Origins

Origin of learn¹

Old English leornian; related to Old High German lirnen

Idioms and Phrases

• by heart, learn
• little knowledge (learning) is a dangerous thing
• live and learn

Example Sentences

The article reports that -- contrary to popular belief -- massive multiplayer online gamers learn by gaming and their skills in the workplace are enriched by those seemingly endless hours previously thought of as frittering away time.

From Science Daily

His YouTube channel has more than 3,500 subscribers, interested in learning programming languages Python and Unity, or who want to hear more about neural networks, which underlie many artificial intelligence tools.

From BBC

"This court hopes that by the time the convict leaves prison, he would have learnt that abusing people in the name of getting content is bad," she said.

From BBC

Schools have generally been working hard to meet the special educational needs of an array of students — those with learning disabilities, those learning English, those with behavioral issues and those whose households struggle with poverty.

From Los Angeles Times

What we learned from a victory that improved the Rams’ record to 5–5:

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• determine
• enroll
• gain
• get
• grasp
• master
• pick up
• read
• receive
• review
• study

When To Use

What are other ways to say learn?

To learn something is to acquire knowledge of it through study or experience. How does learn compare with discover, ascertain, and detect? Find out on Thesaurus.com.