🇺🇸
/ˌækəˈdɛmɪk/
🇺🇸
/ˌækəˈdɛmɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌækəˈdemɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌækəˈdemɪk/
Plural
academics
Academic describes anything related to schools, universities, or formal education — especially ideas, work, or behavior that is theoretical, scholarly, or focused on learning rather than real-world practice. For example, an 'academic debate' might explore philosophical nuances no one will ever implement, while 'academic excellence' celebrates top grades and deep understanding.
Her research on medieval poetry is highly academic and appeals mainly to university professors.
He chose the academic track instead of vocational training after high school.
The committee praised her academic integrity after she reported her own citation error.
Although the proposal sounded good in theory, critics called it too academic to solve the city's housing crisis.
Many students struggle to balance academic responsibilities with part-time jobs.
academ-
Comes from the Ancient Greek 'Akadēmeia' (Ἀκαδημία), the name of the grove near Athens where Plato taught; later used to denote a place of learning or philosophical instruction. The root carries the core meaning of 'school', 'institute of higher learning', or 'scholarly tradition'. Examples include academy, academic, academical, academism, academize.