What does "academia" mean?

1. (the university world) the community of people, such as professors and students, who work or study at universities. 2. (scholarly work) the life of serious study and writing at a high level.

How do you use "academia"?

Usually used with the definite article 'the' or as a standalone uncountable noun. Functions as an uncountable noun.

academia

US //ˌækəˈdimiə// UK //ˌækədˈiːmiə// academia

1 the university world (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic

the community of people, such as professors and students, who work or study at universities.

the collective environment of higher education and research, often viewed as a distinct social or professional sphere.

Example

After ten years in academia, she decided to look for a job in a private company.

Example

The transition from academia to the private sector can be challenging for researchers accustomed to the slower pace of peer-reviewed publishing.

Usage

Usually used with the definite article 'the' or as a standalone uncountable noun.
- university life
- the ivory tower
- the real world
- industry
2 scholarly work (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic Formal

the life of serious study and writing at a high level.

the pursuit of scholarship and continuous study within higher education institutions.

Example

He spent his whole life dedicated to academia and never married.

Example

Her lifelong commitment to academia resulted in several groundbreaking papers that redefined the field of linguistics.

Usage

Functions as an uncountable noun.

Origin

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.

Word family

Nounacademia
Nounacademian