Synonyms of educate

educate

verb

ˈe-jə-ˌkāt 

1

as in to teach

to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field

a revered professor of astronomy who is credited with educating many of today's leading astronomers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• teach
• instruct
• school
• indoctrinate
• train
• lesson
• tutor
• inform
• guide
• prepare
• coach
• lecture
• mentor
• enlighten
• preach
• instill
• introduce
• prime
• instil
• inculcate
• ground
• moralize
• edify
• familiarize
• drill
• lead
• show
• qualify
• catechize
• retrain
• habilitate
• reeducate
• direct
• impart (to)
• initiate
• fit
• implant
• rear
• homeschool
• brief
• reteach
• verse
• reschool

2

as in to inspire

to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding

the belief that parents better educate their children by example than by sending them to Sunday school

Synonyms & Similar Words

• inspire
• enlighten
• enrich
• illumine
• nurture
• transform
• edify
• illuminate
• uplift
• improve
• elevate
• ennoble
• better
• illume
• lift
• exalt
• regenerate
• renew
• ensoul
• transfigure
• glorify

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• confuse
• puzzle
• obscure
• perplex
• darken
• cloud
• becloud

Synonym Chooser

How is the word educate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of educate are discipline, instruct, school, teach, and train. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When might discipline be a better fit than educate?

Although the words discipline and educate have much in common, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

When would instruct be a good substitute for educate?

In some situations, the words instruct and educate are roughly equivalent. However, instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

In what contexts can school take the place of educate?

The words school and educate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

Where would teach be a reasonable alternative to educate?

The synonyms teach and educate are sometimes interchangeable, but teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

When can train be used instead of educate?

The meanings of train and educate largely overlap; however, train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of educate

The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice. —Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025

Find your next breathtaking art piece to fill your home or simply educate yourself on the latest art from Sedona's best artists. —Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 11 Oct. 2025

Parlow, a Los Angeles native and Yale-educated lawyer, previously served as the university’s law school dean and chief fundraiser. —Hanna Kang, Oc Register, 11 Oct. 2025

The nonprofit museum maintains the property and educates the public on Fort Lauderdale’s rich — and relatively young — history. —Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025