academy

noun

acad·​e·​my ə-ˈka-də-mē 

plural academies

1

a

: a school usually above the elementary level

especially : a private high school

b

: a high school or college in which special subjects or skills are taught

c

: higher education

—used with the

the functions of the academy in modern society

2

capitalized

a

: the school for advanced education founded by Plato

b

: the philosophical doctrines associated with Plato's Academy

3

: a society of learned persons organized to advance art, science, or literature

4

: a body of established opinion widely accepted as authoritative in a particular field

Did you know?

Our word academy comes from the Greek word Akademeia, the name of the park or grove outside of ancient Athens where the philosopher Plato taught his students. Just as schools and parks today are often named after famous persons, the Akademeia had been named in honor of a Greek hero, Akademos.

Synonyms

• academe
• school
• seminary

Examples of academy in a Sentence

an academy of the fine arts

Recent Examples on the Web

On the left of team principal Fred Vasseur was the team’s future, Charles Leclerc, who has called Ferrari his home since joining the team in 2016 as part of its driver academy. —Madeline Coleman, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025

Duncan was the first person of color to lead the academy, which operates several stages and a cinema, and has an annual operating budget of $56 million. —Robin Pogrebin, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025

Right now, the academy has seven students, allowing for more hands-on instruction with at least two teachers daily, which includes a part time math specialist and a humanities instructor. —Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025

At Christmastime, the academy adapted a classical Ukrainian tradition of presenting the Nativity story with puppets to tell a tale of Cossack warriors defending children and families – one with a newborn baby – against Russian invaders. —Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

in sense 2, borrowed from Latin Acadēmīa, borrowed from Greek Akadḗmeia, Akadēmía, from the name of the gymnasium near Athens where Plato taught, from Akádēmos, Attic mythological hero + -eia or -ia -y entry 2; in senses 1, 3, and 4 borrowed from French, Italian, & New Latin; French académie, borrowed from Italian & New Latin; Italian accademia, borrowed from New Latin academia, going back to Latin Acadēmīa

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

academy

noun

acad·​e·​my ə-ˈkad-ə-mē 

plural academies

1

a

: school entry 1 sense 1a

especially : a private high school

b

: an institution for training in special subjects or skills

military academy

2

: an organization of people specializing in knowledge in a particular subject

Etymology

Greek Akadēmeia, the grove outside Athens where Plato had his school

Word Origin

Our word academy comes from the Greek word Akadēmeia, the name of the park or grove outside of ancient Athens where the philosopher Plato taught his students. Just as schools and parks today are often named after famous persons, the Akadēmeia had been named in honor of a Greek hero, Akadēmos.