What does "academic" mean?
A follower of Plato, a Platonist.
Academic
/ˌæk.əˈdɛm.ɪk/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A follower of Plato, a Platonist.
- Grammar: academic is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abstract, abstract, academia, academic background.
- Useful contrasts: applied physics problem, applied tech, banausic.
- Usage evidence: Debate is an academic game between the affirmative and the negative.
How to use "academic"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "academic" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "academic" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "academic" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "academic" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "academic" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abstract" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "academic", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A follower of Plato, a Platonist. capitalized, usually
- 2 an educator who works at a college or university wordnet
- 3 A senior member of an academy, college, or university; a person who attends an academy; a person engaged in scholarly pursuits; one who is academic in practice.
"Academics[…]see integrated systems for collecting, processing and acting on data as offering a “second electrification” to the world’s metropolises."
- 4 A member of the Academy; an academician.
"Carneades the academick, when he was to write against Zeno the stoick, purged himself with hellebor first […]."
- 5 A student in a college. archaic
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Academic dress; academicals. plural, plural-only
- 7 Academic studies. plural, plural-only
"Many spoke of an intense fear of failing one’s academics at university, which can both be highly motivating to secure academic success (sometimes at the cost of socialising), but can also immobilise one’s desire to try harder as it can be rather disappointing if one does not succeed. […] Many autistic students commonly reported viewing academics to be the most important aspect of university life and had a strong sense of persistence and self-determination to succeed. […] However, while some autistic students viewed socialising to be a source of threat that could jeopardise their academic success if indulged in, others highlighted the importance of social connections at university beyond that of academics."
Adjective
- 1 Belonging to the school or philosophy of Plato.
"the academic sect or philosophy"
- 2 Belonging to an academy or other higher institution of learning, or a scholarly society or organization.
"But unhappily, by too short a view of things, you have been apt to mistake the completion of your academic courses for the completion of your theologic studies: and then, by a false modesty, have despaired of knowing more than you would suffer those august places of your education to teach you."
- 3 In particular: relating to literary, classical, or artistic studies like the humanities, rather than to technical or vocational studies like engineering or welding.
"Programs of work should provide students the opportunities to demonstrate both academic and vocational competence attainment."
- 4 Having little practical use or value, as by being overly detailed and unengaging, or by being theoretical and speculative with no practical importance.
"I have always had an academic interest in hacking."
- 5 Having a love of or aptitude for learning.
"I’m more academic than athletic — I get lower marks in phys. ed. than in anything else."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Conforming to set rules and traditions; conventional; formalistic.
- 7 Conforming to set rules and traditions; conventional; formalistic.; Subscribing to the architectural standards of Vitruvius.
- 8 So scholarly as to be unaware of the outside world; lacking in worldliness; inexperienced in practical matters.
Adjective
- 1 hypothetical or theoretical and not expected to produce an immediate or practical result wordnet
- 2 marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects wordnet
- 3 associated with academia or an academy wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Debate is an academic game between the affirmative and the negative."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "academic"?
Common synonyms include: abstract, abstract, academia, academic background, academic community events, academic community leaders.
How do you use "academic" in a sentence?
Debate is an academic game between the affirmative and the negative.
How do you pronounce "academic"?
Pronounced /ˌæk.əˈdɛm.ɪk/.
Etymology
From both the Medieval Latin acadēmicus and the French académique, from Latin academia, from Ancient Greek ἀκαδημικός (akadēmikós), from Ἀκαδημία (Akadēmía) or Ἀκαδήμεια (Akadḗmeia), the name of the place where Plato taught; compare academy. By surface analysis, academy + -ic.