academy: Meaning and Definition of

a•cad•e•my

Pronunciation: (u-kad'u-mē), [key]
— pl. -mies.
  1. a secondary or high school, esp. a private one.
  2. a school or college for special instruction or training in a subject: a military academy.
  3. an association or institution for the advancement of art, literature, or science: the National Academy of Arts and Letters.
  4. a group of authorities and leaders in a field of scholarship, art, etc., who are often permitted to dictate standards, prescribe methods, and criticize new ideas.
    1. the Platonic school of philosophy or its adherents.
    2. academe (def. 3).
    3. SeeFrench Academy.
    4. SeeRoyal Academy.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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