academically

adverb

ac·​a·​dem·​i·​cal·​ly ˌa-kə-ˈde-mi-k(ə-)lē 

: in an academic way: such as

a

: with regard to formal studies or academics

doing well academically

academically advanced students

And it has made them more appealing to colleges, which have grown more welcoming as they find that homeschoolers do fine academically.

—Linda Perlstein

… fans and coaches at academically elite institutions would say that, yes, they were handicapped by stricter admissions policies, but in the long run, brains win out over brawn.

—Mark Bechtel

b

: in a theoretical or speculative way without practical application

That scheme for bottling beer is interesting—but only academically. Down here, we don't bottle it, but drink it.

—H. L. Mencken

c

: in a way that conforms to the tradition or rules of a school (as of literature or art)

The big problems arise with his paintings as artworks. His audacity with the brush is vitiated by academically fussy composition.

—Peter Schjeldahl

Examples of academically in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead of falling behind, those kids were further ahead academically by 6th grade for having gotten the basics right. —Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 18 June 2025

University of Chicago research showed those closures set students back academically, though a small number who moved to high-performing campuses fared better. —Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 13 June 2025

In Norway, a similar experiment with middle schools showed students not only performed better academically but were also more likely to go on to advanced secondary programs. —Kyle Smitley, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025

Cody Delvecchio is with the team in Omaha and academically eligible to play. —Brady Oltmans, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1626, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for academically

• biochemically
• epistemically
• photochemically
• chemically
• systemically