learn

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Pronunciation

• (RP) enPR: lûn, IPA: /lɜːn/
• (GA) enPR: lûrn, IPA: /lɝn/

Verb

learn (learns, present participle learning; past and past participle learned)

1. To acquire, or attempt to acquire knowledge or an ability to do something.
   • 2016, [https://web.archive.org/web/20171014193917/https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-lesson-6-where-is-the-gym/3225958.html VOA Learning English] (public domain)

     Every day I learn more about this great city.

2. To attend a course or other educational activity.
   • 1719, Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe

     For, as he took delight to introduce me, I took delight to learn.

3. To gain knowledge from a bad experience so as to improve.

   learn from one's mistakes

4. To study or to be studying.

   I learn medicine.

   They learn psychology.

5. To come to know; to become informed of; to find out.

   He just learned that he will be sacked.

Synonyms

• study

Antonyms

• forget
• teach

Translations

• French: apprendre, étudier
• German: lernen
• Italian: imparare, apprendere
• Portuguese: aprender
• Russian: учи́ться
• Spanish: aprender

Translations

• French: faire des études, étudier
• German: studieren, lernen
• Italian: imparare, apprendere
• Portuguese: estudar
• Russian: учи́ться
• Spanish: aprender

Translations

• French: apprendre
• Italian: imparare
• Portuguese: aprender
• Spanish: aprender

Translations

• Portuguese: aprender
• Spanish: aprender

Translations

• French: étudier
• Italian: imparare, studiare
• Portuguese: aprender, estudar
• Russian: изуча́ть
• Spanish: estudiar

Translations

• French: apprendre
• German: erfahren
• Italian: apprendere
• Portuguese: descobrir que, ficar sabendo
• Russian: узна́ть
• Spanish: aprender, enterarse

Verb

learn (learns, present participle learning; past and past participle learned)

1. (now only in non-standard speech and dialects) To teach.

   Give him a clip round the ear. That'll learn him!

   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/MaloryWks2/1:10.9?rgn=div2;view=fulltext chapter ix], in Le Morte Darthur, book VIII:

     And whan she had serched hym / she fond in the bottome of his wound that therin was poyson / And soo she heled hym […] / and therfore Tramtrist cast grete loue to la beale Isoud / for she was at that tyme the fairest mayde and lady of the worlde / And there Tramtryst lerned her to harpe / and she beganne to haue grete fantasye vnto hym

   • 1599, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act 4 Scene 1

     Sweet prince, you learn me noble thankfulness.

   • circa 1611, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline, Act I Scene 5:

     Have I not been / Thy pupil long? Hast thou not learn’d me how / To make perfumes?

   • 1993, The Simpsons, (18 Feb. 1993) [https://web.archive.org/web/20100808014927/http://www.snpp.com/guides/brainspeaks.html Lisa's thoughts]:

     That'll learn him to bust my tomater.

Related terms

• larn
• lore

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Learn

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Proper noun

1. Surname

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