English Reference
noun

student

n.
US /ˈstudənt/ UK /stjˈuːdənt/ stu·dent UK spelling student's, student's

  1. 01 A1 Beginner

    a person who is studying at a school, college, or university.

    a person formally enrolled in an educational programme at a school, college, or university.

    Simple

    The university has over twenty thousand students from all over the world.

    In context

    As a full-time student, she was eligible for various discounts on public transport and local museum entries.

    Usage

    In British English, 'pupil' is often used for children in primary school, while 'student' is used for older learners.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    someone who studies a particular subject or behavior very carefully, even if they are not in school.

    an individual who studies or observes a particular subject, person, or phenomenon with great attention and diligence.

    Simple

    He is a lifelong student of history and spends his weekends in libraries.

    In context

    A keen student of human nature, the novelist spent hours in crowded cafés observing the subtle interactions between strangers.

    Usage

    Often followed by the preposition 'of'.

Usage students need · student learning · students receive


From Middle English student, studient, from Old French estudiant, estudiente, from Latin studēns, present participle of studeō (“dedicate oneself to, study”). Equivalent to study + -ent.

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

This entry
Origin Latin studēns
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Very common
Updated