DictionaryAI

student

noun
STYOO-duhnt/ˈstjuː.dn̩t/

Pluralstudents

2 meanings of student

Practice

  1. 1
    enrolled learnernouncountable
    A person who is enrolled and studying at a school, college, or university; in British English often used especially of someone in higher education.

    As a first-year student, she struggled to balance classes and a part-time job.

    The museum offers free admission to students with a valid school or college ID card.

    Note

    Enrollment is the test here, at any level of schooling. Francis Parkman, in an autobiographical letter, sketches the figure the word long carried: the pale student, glued to his desk.

  2. 2
    of a subjectnouncountable
    Someone who devotes attention to learning about a particular subject, whether or not in a formal course.

    She is a lifelong student of history, reading everything she can find about ancient Rome.

    The best chess players are students of the game's classic matches.

    UsageUsually a student of plus the subject: a student of history, a student of the game.

    Similarscholar, disciple, devotee

    Note

    Here the word stays closest to its Latin source, studēns, the present participle of studeō, "to dedicate oneself to." A student in this sense is marked by devotion rather than enrollment. Shakespeare spells it Studient and pairs it with scholler. The rarer synonym candlewaster pictures the same devotion as late-night reading.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

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Origin

Latin studēns, the present participle of studeō ("to dedicate oneself to, study"), passed through Old French estudiant into Middle English as student. It is equivalent to study + -ent.