# learn

/ˈɫɝn/ (US) · /lˈɜːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/learn
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to acquire knowledge or skill

verb · CEFR A1

to get new knowledge or a new skill by studying or practicing.

For teachers: to acquire knowledge of or skill in something through study, experience, or being taught.

- She is learning to speak French because she wants to move to Paris.
- Adult students often find it more challenging to learn a second language than children do, though they often possess superior analytical strategies.

Usage: Often followed by an infinitive with 'to' or a prepositional phrase with 'about'.

### 2. to find out information

verb · CEFR A2

to hear or discover new information about something.

For teachers: to become informed of or to find out a particular fact or piece of news.

- We were surprised to learn that the shop was closing down.
- The investigators were shocked to learn that the primary witness had fled the country only hours before the trial was set to commence.

Usage: Commonly followed by a 'that' clause or the preposition 'of'.

### 3. to improve from experience

verb · CEFR B1

to change your behavior because of a mistake or a bad experience.

For teachers: to gain knowledge or wisdom from a specific experience, typically a negative one, so as to avoid future errors.

- He made a big mistake, but he learned his lesson and won't do it again.
- The company failed to learn from its previous marketing blunders, repeating the same strategic errors in the new campaign.

### 4. to memorize

verb · CEFR B1

to fix something in your memory so you can repeat it perfectly.

For teachers: to commit something to memory; to be able to recite or perform something from heart.

- The actors had only two days to learn their lines before the first rehearsal.
- Before the recital, the young pianist had to learn the entire concerto by heart, as the conductor forbade the use of sheet music on stage.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'learn by heart'.

### 5. a piece of information or insight

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Informal

a specific thing that you have found out or understood, especially at work.

For teachers: a specific insight or piece of knowledge gained from a project or experience. Often used in professional or corporate environments.

- One of our key learns from the project was that we need better communication.
- The post-mortem meeting focused on the key learns from the product launch, specifically regarding the unexpected shift in consumer demographics.

Teaching tip: This noun use is common in business 'corporate speak' but is often criticized by traditionalists who prefer 'lessons' or 'findings'.

## Examples

- I want to learn how to cook Italian food.
- Children usually learn their first language naturally by listening to their parents and repeating simple words.
- While some students prefer to learn through visual aids, others find that they retain information more effectively when they engage in hands-on activities or group discussions.

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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.