college

The word “college” means an institution of higher education, often part of a larger university. In plain terms, a place for education beyond high school, or (in the UK) sometimes a school for older teens.

“College” is pronounced KOL-ihj (/ˈkɑ.lɪdʒ/ in IPA).

Here is “college” used in a sentence: “She's in her second year of college studying biology.”

Words with a similar meaning to “college” include faculty and school.

“College” is a noun.

The word “college” comes from Latin. From Old French college, from Latin collegium, "a group of colleagues" — related to the word colleague.

“College” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“College” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an institution of higher education, often part of a larger university.

A university is a large institution that awards degrees and is usually made up of several colleges or faculties. A college is smaller and may be part of a university or stand alone, often focusing on undergraduate teaching. In everyday American English, 'college' is also used loosely to mean any higher education.

Not quite. In the United States, college usually means an undergraduate institution where students earn a bachelor's degree, and 'going to college' means higher education generally. In Britain, college can mean a further-education institution for students aged sixteen and over, or a division within a university such as those at Oxford.

Types include community or junior colleges offering two-year courses; liberal arts colleges focused on broad undergraduate study; technical and vocational colleges teaching practical skills; and sixth-form or further-education colleges in Britain. Some colleges are residential communities within a university, while others are fully independent degree-awarding bodies.