academy

[ uh-kad-uh-mee ]
/ əˈkæd ə mi /

noun, plural a·cad·e·mies.

a secondary or high school, especially a private one.
a school or college for special instruction or training in a subject: a military academy.
an association or institution for the advancement of art, literature, or science: the National Academy of Arts and Letters.
a group of authorities and leaders in a field of scholarship, art, etc., who are often permitted to dictate standards, prescribe methods, and criticize new ideas.
the Academy,
  1. the Platonic school of philosophy or its adherents.
  2. academe(def 3).
  3. French Academy.
  4. Royal Academy.

Origin of academy

1470–80; < Latin acadēmīa < Greek akadḗmeia, equivalent to Akádēm(os) Academus + -eia adj. suffix

Example sentences from the Web for academy

British Dictionary definitions for academy (1 of 2)

academy
/ (əˈkædəmɪ) /

noun plural -mies

an institution or society for the advancement of literature, art, or science
a school for training in a particular skill or profession a military academy
a secondary school: now used only as part of a name, and often denoting a private school

Word Origin for academy

C16: via Latin from Greek akadēmeia name of the grove where Plato taught, named after the legendary hero Akadēmos

British Dictionary definitions for academy (2 of 2)

Academy
/ (əˈkædəmɪ) /

noun the Academy

  1. the grove or garden near Athens where Plato taught in the late 4th century bc
  2. the school of philosophy founded by Plato
  3. the members of this school and their successors
short for the French Academy, Royal Academy