university

u-ni-ver-si-ty · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A high-level educational institution in which students study for degrees and academic research is done.

  2. 2.

    The members of a university collectively, including students and staff.

  3. 3.

    The campus or buildings of a university.

Forms

plural: universities

Related words

See also: academy, college, education, school
Synonyms: academy, college, institute

Etymology

From Old French "universite," from Latin "universitas" meaning "the whole, aggregate," later "society, guild," from "universus" meaning "whole, entire." In medieval Latin, it came to mean "a community of scholars," and was first applied to educational institutions in the 13th century, with the University of Bologna (1088) and University of Paris (12th century) among the earliest.