# academic

/ˌækəˈdɛmɪk/ (US) · /ˌækədˈɛmɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/academic
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. related to education

adjective · CEFR B1

relating to schools, colleges, and universities, or the subjects studied there.

For teachers: relating to an academy, college, or university, or to scholarly institutions and their activities.

- The university offers a wide range of academic courses for international students.
- The dean emphasized that the institution's primary mission was to maintain high academic standards while fostering a diverse research environment.

### 2. theoretical or not practical

adjective · CEFR B2

describing something that is interesting to talk about but has no real effect on a situation.

For teachers: theoretical or speculative in nature, often implying a lack of practical application or relevance to current reality.

- The question of who would have won the game is purely academic now.
- Whether the policy would have worked in the 1990s is an academic point, as the economic landscape has shifted entirely since then.

### 3. good at studying

adjective · CEFR B2

describing a person who is good at learning and enjoys studying.

For teachers: possessing an aptitude for or interest in scholarly study and research.

- She was always very academic and spent most of her time in the library.
- The scholarship was designed to support academic students who might otherwise struggle to afford the tuition for a top-tier university.

### 4. a university teacher/researcher

noun · CEFR B2

a person who teaches or does research at a university or college.

For teachers: a member of a university or college faculty; a person engaged in professional scholarly research or teaching.

- Many academics attended the conference to discuss the new scientific findings.
- The government consulted several leading academics before drafting the new environmental legislation to ensure the data was accurate.

## Examples

- The academic published a new paper about history.
- After finishing her PhD, she found a job as an academic at a top research university.
- While many experts work in the private sector, this particular academic dedicated his entire career to theoretical physics within the university system.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.