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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

study.

To review materials already learned in order to make sure one does not forget them, usually in preparation for an examination.

5 characters2 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

verb/ˈstʌd.i/Received-Pronunciation/ˈstʌd.i/General-American[ˈstʌɾ.i]General-American/ˈstʊd.i/
  1. To review materials already learned in order to make sure one does not forget them, usually in preparation for an examination.

    intransitive · literary · transitive · usually
    Students are expected to start studying for final exams in March.
    I need to study my biology notes.
  2. To take a course or courses on a subject.

    literary · transitive
    I study medicine at the university.
  3. To acquire knowledge on a subject with the intention of applying it in practice.

    transitive
    Biologists study living things.
    In 2015, scientists found that 82 percent of glaciers studied in China had decreased in size.
  4. To look at carefully and minutely.

    transitive
    He studied the map in preparation for the hike.
  5. To fix the mind closely upon a subject; to dwell upon anything in thought; to muse; to ponder.

    transitive
  6. To endeavor diligently; to be zealous.

    archaic · intransitive
Where this word comes from

Inherited from Middle English studien, from Old French estudier (Modern French étudier), from estudie (noun), borrowed from Latin studium. Displaced Old English cneordlæcan.

noun/ˈstʌd.i/Received-Pronunciation/ˈstʌd.i/General-American[ˈstʌɾ.i]General-American/ˈstʊd.i/
  1. Mental effort to acquire knowledge or learning.

    countable · uncountable
    The study of languages is fascinating.
  2. The act of studying or examining; examination.

    countable · uncountable
    I made a careful study of his sister.
  3. Any particular branch of learning that is studied; any object of attentive consideration.

    countable · uncountable
  4. A room in a house intended for reading and writing; traditionally the private room of the male head of household.

    countable · uncountable
    Father spends all his time in the study poring over manuscripts.
  5. An artwork made in order to practise or demonstrate a subject or technique.

    countable · uncountable
  6. The human face, bearing an expression which the observer finds amusingly typical of a particular emotion or state of mind.

    countable · uncountable
    Geoffrey's face was a study.
    Geoffrey's face was a study in amazement [or in bewilderment, irritation, distress etc.]
  7. A piece for special practice; an etude.

    countable · uncountable
  8. An academic publication.

    countable · literary · uncountable
    That new study on noncommutative symmetries looks promising.
  9. One who commits a theatrical part to memory.

    countable · uncountable
  10. An endgame problem composed for artistic merit, where one side is to play for a win or for a draw.

    countable · uncountable
  11. A state of mental perplexity or worried thought.

    countable · obsolete · uncountable
  12. Thought, as directed to a specific purpose; one's concern.

    archaic · countable · uncountable
    My study was to avoid disturbing her.
Where this word comes from

Inherited from Middle English studie, from Old French estudie (Modern French étude), borrowed from Latin studium (“zeal, dedication, study”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewd- (“to push, to hit”). Doublet of etude and studio.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.