What does "tuition" mean?

1. (money paid for education) the money you pay to a school, college, or university for your education. 2. (teaching or instruction) teaching or training, especially when it is done for one person or a small group. 3. (private classes) private lessons that you pay for outside of your regular school hours. 4. (care or guardianship) the act of looking after or protecting someone.

How do you use "tuition"?

Often used as an uncountable noun or as part of the compound 'tuition fees'. Commonly used in the UK and Ireland to refer to the teaching itself rather than the cost.

tuition

US //tjuˈɪʃən// UK //tjuːˈɪʃən// tu·ition

1 money paid for education (n.)
B1 Intermediate American English

the money you pay to a school, college, or university for your education.

the fee charged for instruction at an educational institution, particularly in higher education.

Example

The university decided to increase tuition for the next academic year.

Example

Rising tuition costs have forced many students to seek part-time employment or take out substantial loans to cover their degrees.

Usage

Often used as an uncountable noun or as part of the compound 'tuition fees'.
- fees
- costs
2 teaching or instruction (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate British English

teaching or training, especially when it is done for one person or a small group.

the act or process of providing instruction, typically in a private or small-group setting.

Example

She needed extra tuition in maths to pass her final exams.

Example

The school provides individual tuition for students who require additional support with their literacy skills.

Usage

Commonly used in the UK and Ireland to refer to the teaching itself rather than the cost.

Show 2 more sensesShow fewer

3 private classes (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Dialect

private lessons that you pay for outside of your regular school hours.

supplementary private classes or tutoring sessions taken outside of the formal school system.

Example

Many children go to tuition after school to prepare for their national exams.

Example

The demand for private tuition has created a competitive industry of learning centres catering to ambitious students.

Teacher's tip

This sense is particularly common in Singapore, Malaysia, and India, where 'tuition' often refers to after-school coaching centres.
- private lessons
- coaching
4 care or guardianship (n.)
C2 Proficiency Archaic

the act of looking after or protecting someone.

the state of being under the care, protection, or guardianship of another.

Example

The young orphan was placed under the tuition of a local nobleman.

Example

In the historical manuscript, the author describes his early years spent under the strict tuition of his uncle.
- neglect

Origin

From Old French [Term?], from Latin tuitiō (“guard, protection, defense”), from tuēri (“to watch, guard, see, observe”). Compare intuition, tutor.