Coeducational

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Admitting or educating both male and female students together in the same institution or classroom
2. Describing a school, class or program that enrolls boys and girls side by side rather than separately
3. Relating to education in which people of both sexes study together under the same roof and curriculum

Etymology: Coeducational is a straightforward formation: the adjective "coeducational" is built from "coeducation" plus the suffix "-al", and "coeducation" itself combines "co-", a prefix from Latin "con-" meaning "together" with "education". The base word "education" traces back through Latin "ēducātiō", from "ēducāre", "to bring up or rear", which in turn comes from "ēdūcere", "to lead out", built from "ex-" ("out") and "dūcere" ("to lead"). The suffix "-al" came into English through Old French "-el" from Latin "-ālis", and it is what turns a noun such as "coeducation" into an adjective describing something related to it. The result is a word that simply describes schools or institutions where students of different sexes are taught together, with the meaning sitting transparently in its parts.

Synonyms: co-ed, mixed

Antonyms: single-sex, segregated