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.
Examples of academy in a Sentence
an academy of the fine arts
Recent Examples on the Web
Last year, voters were able to choose from 13 Czech feature films submitted by their producers, according to an academy press release.
—
Marta Balaga, Variety, 15 July 2025
His days seem numbered in the Spanish capital, and the likes of Arsenal and Bayern Munich are being linked to the Santos academy product.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
July alone has seen the highest number of academy students in training in FAA’s history, with 550 students expected by the end of the month.
—Sarah Alegre, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
The retirement of the No 20 shirt applies to the club at all levels, including men’s, women’s and academy teams.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for academy
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Marta Balaga, Variety, 15 July 2025
His days seem numbered in the Spanish capital, and the likes of Arsenal and Bayern Munich are being linked to the Santos academy product.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
July alone has seen the highest number of academy students in training in FAA’s history, with 550 students expected by the end of the month.
—Sarah Alegre, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
The retirement of the No 20 shirt applies to the club at all levels, including men’s, women’s and academy teams.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for academy
Cite this Entry
“Academy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/academy. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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.
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