NYT Dictionary

ACADEMIA

/ˌæk.əˈdeɪ.mɪ.ə/
Nounac-a-DE-mi-aac-a-de-mi-a · 5 syllablesGrade 9

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026

Meaning

The scientific and cultural community engaged in higher education and research, taken as a whole.

Etymology

Origin: Latin

Etymology tree Ancient Greek Ἀκάδημος (Akádēmos) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ία (-ía) Ancient Greek Ἀκαδήμεια (Akadḗmeia)der. New Latin acadēmī̆abor. English academia Borrowed from New Latin acadēmīa, from Ancient Greek Ἀκαδημία (Akadēmía), a grove of trees and gymnasium outside of Athens where Plato taught; from the name of the supposed former owner of that estate, the Attica hero Akademos. Doublet of academe, academy, and Akademeia. Modern sense of “the world of universities and scholarship” recorded from 1956.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

academecollegemultiversitynormaluniversityvarsity

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 4 recorded puzzles:

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