academy

 
Pronunciation: /əˈkadəmi/

noun (plural academies)

  • 1a place of study or training in a special field: a police academy
  • dated a place of study: he was educated privately at academies in Margate
  • British an inner-city school which is funded partly by the government and partly by a private individual or organization.
  • US & Scottish a secondary school, in the US typically a private one: Mark left St Andrews Academy with five highers, and studied maths at Glasgow University
  • (the Academy) the teaching school founded by Plato.
  • 2a society or institution of distinguished scholars and artists or scientists that aims to promote and maintain standards in its particular field: the Royal Academy of Arts

Origin:

late Middle English (denoting the garden where Plato taught): from French académie or Latin academia, from Greek akadēmeia, from Akadēmos, the hero after whom Plato's garden was named