- a person who teaches and/or does research at a university or college
- a leading/distinguished/prominent academic
- There is much debate among academics about this issue.
Extra ExamplesTopics Educationb2- Academics are not generally very well paid.
- A distinguished academic from America was due to speak that evening.
- Many senior academics are taking up positions overseas.
Word Originmid 16th cent.: from French académique or medieval Latin academicus, from academia, from Greek akadēmeia, from Akadēmos, the hero after whom Plato's garden was named.Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
academic