| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | acquire information |
| Synonyms: | apprentice, attain, be taught, be trained, become able, become versed, brush up on, burn midnight oil, commit to memory, con, crack the books, cram, determine, drink in, enroll, gain, get, get down pat, get the hang of, get the knack of, grasp, grind, imbibe, improve mind, lucubrate, major in, master, matriculate, memorize, minor in, peruse, pick up*, pore over, prepare, read, receive, review, soak up, specialize in, study, take course, take in, train in, wade through |
| Notes: | learn means to acquire or gain skill, knowledge or comprehension; teach means to impart skill, knowledge or comprehension to |
| Antonyms: | teach |
| Main Entry: | learned |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | well-informed |
| Synonyms: | abstruse, academic, accomplished, bookish, brainy, conversant, cultivated, cultured, deep*, educated, erudite, esoteric, experienced, expert, grave, grounded, highbrow, in the know, intellectual, judicious, lettered, literary, literate, omniscient, pansophic, pedantic, philosophic, philosophical, polymath, posted, professorial, recondite, sage, sapient, scholarly, scientific, sharp, skilled, solemn, solid, sound, studied, studious, versed, well-educated, well-grounded, well-read, well-rounded |
| Antonyms: | ignorant, stupid, uninformed |
| Main Entry: | able |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | able to perform well; having a proven capacity |
| Synonyms: | accomplished, adroit, agile, artful, au fait, brilliant, capable, clever, deft, dexterous, effective, effectual, efficient, equal to, experienced, expert, facile, gifted, ingenious, intelligent, keen, know backwards and forwards, know one's onions, know the ropes, learned, masterful, masterly, powerful, practiced, prepared, proficient, qualified, responsible, savvy, sharp, skilled, skillful, smart, talented, there, trained, up to it, up to snuff, up to speed, with it |
| Notes: | able is having the necessary power to accomplish something while capable means having the potential to accomplish something |
| Antonyms: | delicate, feeble, inept, stupid, weak |
| Main Entry: | absorb |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | mentally take in information |
| Synonyms: | assimilate, comprehend, digest, follow, get, get into, grasp, incorporate, latch onto, learn, sense, soak up, take in, understand |
| Antonyms: | misunderstand, not get |
| Main Entry: | academic |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | relating to schooling, learning |
| Synonyms: | book-learned, bookish, college, collegiate, erudite, intellectual, learned, pedantic, scholarly, scholastic, studious, university |
| Antonyms: | ignorant, untaught |
| Main Entry: | ascertain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make sure |
| Synonyms: | catch on, check, check out*, check up on, confirm, determine, dig*, discover, divine, double-check, establish, eye*, eyeball, find out, fix, get down cold, get down pat, get hold of, get it down, get the hang of, identify, learn, learn the ropes, look-see, make certain, make sure, peg, pick up on, pick up*, read, see, settle, size, size up, tell, verify |
| Main Entry: | assimilate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | absorb mentally |
| Synonyms: | comprehend, digest, grasp, incorporate, ingest, learn, osmose, sense, soak up, take in, take up, understand |
| Antonyms: | misunderstand, reject, unlearn |
| Main Entry: | authoritative |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | recognized as true, valid |
| Synonyms: | accurate, attested, authentic, authenticated, circumstantiated, confirmed, definitive, dependable, documented, factual, faithful, learned, legit, proven, reliable, righteous, scholarly, sound, straight from horse's mouth, supported, trustworthy, truthful, validated, verified, veritable |
| Antonyms: | democratic |
| Main Entry: | conversant |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | experienced, familiar with |
| Synonyms: | abreast, acquainted, alive, apprehensive, au courant, au fait, aware, cognizant, comprehending, conscious, cool*, down with, hep, hip*, informed, into, kept posted, knowing, knowledgeable, learned, on the beam, perceptive, percipient, plugged in, practiced, proficient, sensible, sentient, skilled, up*, up-to-date, versant, versed, well-informed, witting |
| Antonyms: | ignorant, inexperienced, quiet, silent |