Adjacent Words

University definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

UNIVERS'ITY, n. An assemblage of colleges established in any place, with professors for instructing students in the sciences and other branches of learning, and where degrees are conferred. A university is properly a universal school, in which are taught all branches of learning, or the four faculties of theology, medicine, law and the sciences and arts.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the body of faculty and students at a university
2: establishment where a seat of higher learning is housed, including administrative and living quarters as well as facilities for research and teaching
3: a large and diverse institution of higher learning created to educate for life and for a profession and to grant degrees

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural -ties) Etymology: Middle English universite, from Anglo-French université, from Medieval Latin universitat-, universitas, from Latin universus Date: 14th century 1. an institution of higher learning providing facilities for teaching and research and authorized to grant academic degrees; specifically one made up of an undergraduate division which confers bachelor's degrees and a graduate division which comprises a graduate school and professional schools each of which may confer master's degrees and doctorates 2. the physical plant of a university

Britannica Concise

Institution of higher education, usually comprising a liberal-arts-and-sciences college and graduate and professional schools that confer degrees in various fields. A university differs from a college in that it is usually larger, has a broader curriculum, and offers advanced degrees in addition to undergraduate degrees. The first true university was the Univ. of Bologna, founded in the 11th cent.; the first in N Europe was the Univ. of Paris, which served as a model for the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Heidelberg, and others. One of the first modern universities, in which secular objectivity and rationalism replaced religious orthodoxy, was the Univ. of Halle (founded 1694 in Halle, Germany). The liberalism of Halle was adopted by Gö ttingen, Berlin, and many other German universities. The German model of the university as a complex of schools and research institutes also exerted a worldwide influence. The growth of universities in the U.S., where most colleges had been established by religious denominations, was greatly spurred by the Morrill Act of 1862.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 an educational institution designed for instruction, examination, or both, of students in many branches of advanced learning, conferring degrees in various faculties, and often embodying colleges and similar institutions. 2 the members of this collectively. 3 a team, crew, etc., representing a university. Phrases and idioms: at university studying at a university. Etymology: ME f. OF université f. L universitas -tatis the whole (world), in LL college, guild (as UNIVERSE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

University U`ni*ver"si*ty, n.; pl. Universities. [OE. universite, L. universitas all together, the whole, the universe, a number of persons associated into one body, a society, corporation, fr. universus all together, universal: cf. F. universit['e]. See Universe.] 1. The universe; the whole. [Obs.] --Dr. H. More. 2. An association, society, guild, or corporation, esp. one capable of having and acquiring property. [Obs.] The universities, or corporate bodies, at Rome were very numerous. There were corporations of bakers, farmers of the revenue, scribes, and others. --Eng. Cyc. 3. An institution organized and incorporated for the purpose of imparting instruction, examining students, and otherwise promoting education in the higher branches of literature, science, art, etc., empowered to confer degrees in the several arts and faculties, as in theology, law, medicine, music, etc. A university may exist without having any college connected with it, or it may consist of but one college, or it may comprise an assemblage of colleges established in any place, with professors for instructing students in the sciences and other branches of learning. The present universities of Europe were, originally, the greater part of them, ecclesiastical corporations, instituted for the education of churchmen . . . What was taught in the greater part of those universities was suitable to the end of their institutions, either theology or something that was merely preparatory to theology. --A. Smith. Note: From the Roman words universitas, collegium, corpus, are derived the terms university, college, and corporation, of modern languages; and though these words have obtained modified significations in modern times, so as to be indifferently applicable to the same things, they all agree in retaining the fundamental signification of the terms, whatever may have been added to them. There is now no university, college, or corporation, which is not a juristical person in the sense above explained [see def. 2, above]; wherever these words are applied to any association of persons not stamped with this mark, it is an abuse of terms. --Eng. Cyc.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(universities) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. A university is an institution where students study for degrees and where academic research is done. Patrick is now at London University... They want their daughter to go to university, but they are also keen that she get a summer job... The university refused to let Dick Gregory speak on campus. N-VAR; N-IN-NAMES

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Seminary of learning (of the highest class), literary institution, universal school.

Moby Thesaurus

academe, academia, academic, alma mater, classroom, college, college of engineering, collegiate, community college, degree-granting institution, extramural, four-year college, graduate school, institute of technology, interscholastic, intramural, ivied halls, journalism school, junior college, law school, medical school, multiversity, normal, normal school, postgraduate school, preschool, scholastic, school, school of communications, school of education, two-year college, university college, varsity