academy

The word “academy” means a school, college, or institution devoted to a particular subject or level of education. In plain terms, a specialized school or training institution, or a formal society of experts in a field.

“Academy” is pronounced uh-KAD-uh-mee (/əˈkæd.ə.mi/ in IPA).

Here is “academy” used in a sentence: “She trained at a prestigious ballet academy in Paris.”

“Academy” is a noun.

The word “academy” comes from Latin. From Latin Academia, from Greek Akademia — the garden outside Athens named after the hero Akademos, where Plato taught.

“Academy” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Academy” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a school, college, or institution devoted to a particular subject or level of education.

'School' is the general word for any place of learning. 'Academy' usually suggests something more specialized or prestigious, an institution focused on a particular field or level, such as a military academy, an art academy, or a sports academy. Every academy is a school, but not every school calls itself an academy.

Academies specialize widely. Military academies train officers; art, music, and drama academies teach the performing and fine arts; sports academies develop athletes; and national academies of science or letters honor leading scholars. Some ordinary schools also use the name to signal a distinct focus or independent status.

It traces back to Akademia, the grove near Athens where the philosopher Plato taught his students around 387 BC. The site was named after the hero Akademos. Over centuries the term came to mean any institution of higher learning, and today it names schools, societies, and awards alike.