Education

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌɛd͡ʒ.ʊˈkeɪ.ʃn̩/

Definitions

1. The process of teaching and learning in schools and other institutions where knowledge, skills, and values are systematically developed
2. The systematic process of acquiring knowledge, skills, and values through various teaching methods and learning experiences in formal and informal settings
3. The act of imparting knowledge and skills through various forms of instruction, while fostering personal development and social values in diverse environments

Etymology: The Latin verb "ēdūcō" originally meant "to lead forth" or "to take out," and it is built from "ē-" ("out") and "dūcō" ("to lead"), the same "lead" root that appears in "duke," "conduct," and "produce." Its sense of leading out gradually broadened into "to raise up" or "to erect," and from there into "to bring up" or "to rear" a young person, which is where the idea of training the mind eventually arose. The noun "ēducātiō" meant "a breeding, bringing up, rearing," focusing on the nurture of a child rather than on schooling. English borrowed the noun through Middle French "éducation," so the word reached English with the same broad sense of upbringing and training. The verb "educate" came from the same Latin stem, and "education" is simply that stem with the "-ion" suffix, which turns an action into the name of the action itself. The result is a noun meaning the process of learning, whose oldest sense was closer to raising a child.

Synonyms: instruction, teaching, training, learning, enlightenment

Antonyms: ignorance, illiteracy, unawareness, inexperience, naivety