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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:

El-Sayed says he has "been able to listen and learn ... and where my comments in the past have caused unnecessary pain, to apologize."

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

Now, as she follows the 18-wheeler, she feels she will soon learn what happens to the wood chips.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

"Most importantly, that we learn or re-learn to exercise our muscle of decency."

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

Instead, he let Slim Shady learn a hard lesson that true southerners know: You lay down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026

“Come on, Charlotte! If I can do it, so can you. Besides, if you’re going to grow up to be a badass like me, you’ve got to learn how to strut.”

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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

When at home, your body learns to adapt to your daily routine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Their weights, or the numeral parameters that the model learns throughout the training process, can be downloaded directly and run locally.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

When a child learns language, they undergo a very extensive form of enculturation.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

The BBC has also learned he continued to be paid for a month after his conviction.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Yes, she identified a few changes that were necessary early, she told me, but she also learned from prior leaders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

They had been certified at PSA and were being returned to him in Michigan when he learned about the theft.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

I’ve learned which things are worth making myself, which are better left to professionals and how much pleasure a few slightly theatrical details can bring to an otherwise ordinary meal.

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026

I had learned much, in the past year, about what I could and could not bear.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Lessons need to be learnt after an inquiry found that government failings in care settings allowed the spread of Covid, a woman whose mother died during the pandemic has said.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

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

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Gradually, they learnt how it worked and grew confident using it.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

They learnt four dances, practised hard and rehearsed at home to prepare for the event, Fernhill House Care Home said.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

The revolutionary element he introduced into the sacred music he wrote at Notre-Dame was something he’d clearly learnt from the troubadours, who had in turn picked it up from Spain: rhythm.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

“Learning to pay attention, learning to feel excited about trying something new or challenging — that stuff carried forward means everything,” Markowitz said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

Even a single month of additional learning would leave researchers “out of your mind excited,” Markowitz said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

But her sight loss has increasingly affected her ability to work, with the actress previously speaking about struggling to see on film sets and having difficulty learning scripts.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

She said: "The children absolutely loved it. The standout moment was learning that Tim Peake had run a marathon on the International Space Station. They couldn't believe it."

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

All that I am learning is that I cannot trust myself when I feel certain of anything.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse


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