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Definitions

learn

[lurn] / lɜrn /




Usage

What are other ways to say learn? To learn is to add to one's knowledge or information: to learn a language. To ascertain is to verify facts by inquiry or analysis: to ascertain the truth about an event. To detect implies becoming aware of something that had been obscure, secret, or concealed: to detect a flaw in reasoning. The verb discover is used with objective clauses as a synonym of learn in order to suggest that the new information acquired is surprising to the learner: I discovered that she had been married before.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for learn?
To learn is to acquire knowledge of something through study and/or experience. The process of acquiring knowledge is called learning. To learn a subject or topic is to gain understanding of it—to grasp it. To learn a skill is to become proficient in it (and perhaps eventually to master it). In many cases, learning is the result of teaching. But learning isn’t always formal, like that done in school. We often learn things by teaching ourselves. Learning often involves working to understand something, but sometimes it happens almost automatically. The informal term pick up is sometimes used in the context of acquiring knowledge or skills in this way, such as through immersion, as in I picked up Italian when I spent two semesters in Rome. Another sense of learn (used in phrases like learn of and learn about) means to become or be made aware of something. This often involves hearing about or being informed about something, but sometimes it is more active. Synonyms for the more active sense include ascertain, detect, and discover.
What is another word for eager to learn?
Someone who is eager to learn often has a thirst for knowledge. Such a person is often inherently curious. Students who are eager to learn are often studious. A more general term is enthusiastic.
What is another word for a quick learner?
A quick or fast learner could be described as a quick study. You could describe such a person as having a quick mind or a ready grasp of something or, more informally, as having a mind like a sponge. Such a person could also be described as perceptive.
Is it learnt or learned?
Learned and learnt are both past tense forms of learn, but learned is far more common, especially in everyday speech.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

I say, ‘I’m trying to learn what you want, and I want to make the city work for you. How can I make it work?’

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

"These are not symbolic things; they are concrete demonstrations of what serious partners do, serious partners train together, learn together, plan together, and build the confidence and competence necessary to prevent conflict," he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

Five years ago, Gratton says, the safe advice was to learn to code; now, not so much.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

Giancarlo: The same thing I taught my children: Buy one or two, and learn.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026

He was incensed to learn that Father had died right here in Scheveningen; the documents on my case made no mention of it.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

"It was a poor reaction from him and you hope he learns and he learns quickly."

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

The tactic’s efficacy depends on a confused audience, and every person who learns about the acronym is a little bit harder to fool.

From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026

Once a person learns the technique, it can potentially become part of ordinary daily movement without requiring continued use of specialized equipment.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

There are the now-traditional scenes in which Carrie learns to consciously control her telekinetic superpowers, previously manifested by accidentally setting off car alarms, opening mailboxes and causing a rain of rocks on her parents’ roof.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

“They’re soft up there. You make sure he learns how we do things in Georgia.”

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

It’s something he learned in school, where he earned a psychology degree.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

You might have learned as much from the allegory of the emperor’s new clothes or the discoveries of behavioral economics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

As the adventurer is sharing expeditions "live", he said he had learned lessons from the experience going forward.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

She learned that the FDA had recently approved a new copper IUD: the Miudella, the first copper IUD to be introduced in the U.S. in more than 40 years.

From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026

Nollie, we soon learned, had been taken to the police station around the corner, to one of the cells in back.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Wanjiru's niece, Esther Njoki, told the BBC that the family learnt of the postponement through the UK embassy and had received no official explanation.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

It was only later that he learnt of Nansi's heroics.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

"Since the incident we have learnt lessons, and as part of this, we have improved our oversight of the monitoring of medical gases across the maternity unit at Basildon Hospital."

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Over 15 days, they learnt to identify stars, planets and constellations, navigate the night sky, operate telescopes and photograph the Milky Way on their phones.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

“I have learnt next to nothing, Joe. You think much of me. It’s only that.”

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Pamela Paul sat in on the class to discover why old-school learning is suddenly so popular.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Lakers coach JJ Redick, still mindful that the season is less than a week old, considered the defensive struggles a learning lesson for all coaches and players.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

They then applied machine learning techniques to determine whether patterns in the recordings could reveal what each child was viewing.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026

In a 2023 Hot Ones episode, she said she’s obsessed with learning about wars.

From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2026

Us pupils walked in under this switch every blessed morning, and it was to put us in the right frame of mind for learning.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck


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