Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To develop the mental, moral, or social capabilities of, especially by schooling or instruction. synonym: teach.
  • intransitive verb To provide with knowledge or training in a particular area or for a particular purpose.
  • intransitive verb To provide with information, as in an effort to gain support for a position or to influence behavior.
  • intransitive verb To develop or refine (one's taste or appreciation, for example).
  • intransitive verb To teach or instruct a person or group.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To impart knowledge and mental and moral training to; develop mentally and morally by instruction; cultivate; qualify by instruction and training for the business and duties of life.
  • Synonyms To teach, rear, discipline, develop, nurture, breed, indoctrinate, school, drill.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To bring up or guide the powers of, as a child; to develop and cultivate, whether physically, mentally, or morally, but more commonly limited to the mental activities or senses; to expand, strengthen, and discipline, as the mind, a faculty, etc.; to form and regulate the principles and character of; to prepare and fit for any calling or business by systematic instruction; to cultivate; to train; to instruct

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb to instruct or train

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb teach or refine to be discriminative in taste or judgment
  • verb give an education to
  • verb create by training and teaching

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English educaten, from Latin ēducāre, ēducātus; see deuk- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin educatus, past participle of educare ("to bring up (a child, physically or mentally), rear, educate, train (a person in learning or art), nourish, support, or produce (plants or animals)"), frequentive of educere, past participle eductus ("to bring up, rear (a child, usually with reference to bodily nurture or support, while educare refers more frequently to the mind)"), from e ("out") + ducere ("to lead, draw")

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