university

noun

uni·​ver·​si·​ty ˌyü-nə-ˈvər-sə-tē How to pronounce university (audio)
-ˈvər-stē
plural universities
1
: an institution of higher learning providing facilities for teaching and research and authorized to grant academic degrees
specifically : one made up of an undergraduate division which confers bachelor's degrees and a graduate division which comprises a graduate school and professional schools each of which may confer master's degrees and doctorates
2
: the physical plant of a university

Examples of university in a Sentence

I applied to several public universities. He lives near the university.
Recent Examples on the Web There are additional requirements if a student wishes to apply to a four-year state college, and selective universities carefully evaluate a student’s advanced coursework. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 But, unfortunately for those saddled with student debt, not even the best universities in the world can teach you resilience. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 The town was in decline as a center of the wool trade but alive with the mayhem of some fifteen hundred young men—loosely supervised, theoretically celibate, armed with crossbows—the scholars of the university. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2024 The university must remain in good standing with the agency to receive VA benefits. The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 When will universities encourage chasing our dreams? Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Madeline Mitchell University of Cincinnati is joining several other regional and national universities and moving its admission decision day for students from the traditional May 1. The Enquirer, 11 Mar. 2024 College campuses have become ground zero for the DEI debate as state lawmakers across the country launch efforts to halt or limit DEI programs in public schools and universities. Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Student teaching experience in a typical university program might involve only six to nine weeks of teaching in a classroom, Mora said. Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'university.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English universite, from Anglo-French université, from Medieval Latin universitat-, universitas, from Latin universus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of university was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near university

Cite this Entry

“University.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/university. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

university

noun
uni·​ver·​si·​ty ˌyü-nə-ˈvər-sət-ē How to pronounce university (audio)
-ˈvər-stē
plural universities
: a school that offers courses leading to a degree (as a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree) and where research is done

More from Merriam-Webster on university

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