English Reference
noun

learning

n.
US /ˈɫɝnɪŋ/ UK /lˈɜːnɪŋ/ learn·ing UK spelling learnings

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    the process of getting new knowledge or skills through study or experience.

    the cognitive process of acquiring new knowledge, skills, or behaviours through experience, study, or instruction.

    Simple

    Online tools have made language learning much easier for people at home.

    In context

    The curriculum focuses on active learning, encouraging students to engage with the material through practical experiments rather than passive observation.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Formal

    knowledge that you have gained from reading and studying for a long time.

    the body of knowledge or scholarship acquired by an individual through extensive study.

    Simple

    The professor was a man of great learning and wrote many books.

    In context

    His reputation for profound learning was well-deserved, as he could quote classical literature in several different languages from memory.

Usage learning curve · learning about life's · learning disability


From Middle English lernyng, lernynge, from Old English leornung (“learning, study”), from Proto-West Germanic *liʀnungu (“learning”), equivalent to learn + -ing. Cognate with Old Saxon lernunga, German Lernung.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin gmw-pro *liʀnungu
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Very common
Updated