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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of educate Scientists must do their part to preserve and defend the scientific enterprise by doing better science, fixing the perverse incentives that encourage misconduct and making greater efforts to educate the public about how science works. Ferric C. Fang, Baltimore Sun, 23 Mar. 2025 Get educated on your choices, folks, and make your voices heard. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2025 Literacy was seen as a major factor in pre-war slave unrest, and attempts to educate Southern Blacks were greeted with everything from suspicion to violent opposition. Peter Greene, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025 Mercedes also has an easier audience to sell EVs to -- their customers are educated and more willing to try new things. Morgan Korn, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for educate

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Educate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/educate. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on educate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!