academic
10
6.9
- adjective
- /ˌækəˈdɛmɪk/
- The committee dismissed the proposal, stating it was an academic exercise without any real impact on community needs.
- purely academic
- an academic exercise
- become purely academic
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Watch on YouTubeIt's not philosophy today seems like this academic sort of abstract pursuit.
- It's not philosophy today seems like this academic sort of abstract pursuit.
- And so we've got academic as a kind of skepticism.
- You know, it isn't just a kind of abstract academic exploration of the self.
- Otherwise, it's just sort of an academic exercise.
- So what's left to do if one doesn't want to be inappropriately academic or piously presumptuous?
Examples
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- All these questions are purely academic.
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The mystical for certain historians of religion was more than academic; it was transformative.
Academic text (1999) -
My friend, the question was purely academic.
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Do these values represent anything real, or are they just an academic abstraction?
Academic text (1999) -
Academic discussions won't change her fate.
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However, the interest in COA will remain purely academic as long as its feasibility is in doubt.
Academic text (1999) -
Scholars have examined recent cultural change in terms of an externally generated academic vocabulary rather than concrete data.
Academic text (1991) -
The debate quickly shifted from practical solutions to academic theories that had little relevance to our situation.
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Her concerns about the project were more academic than practical, focusing on theoretical details rather than real-world applications.
Synonyms
111
6.3
Relating to ideas and basic rules rather than practical use
13
8.1
Paying too much attention to small rules or details, often annoying others
1
9.7
Like a university teacher who is formal and picky about small details
1
7.0
About ideas and study rather than practical use
Too academic and formal for general readers to understand
Antonyms
Compounds
- Formal
9
4.5
The right of teachers and students in schools and universities to say what they think and study without outside control
7
3.2
A planned set of school courses in subjects like arts and sciences to prepare for college
2
3.0
A part of a college or university that teaches and studies one subject like biology
2
3.2
A certificate from a college or university that shows someone finished a course of study
- Specialized
1
6.6
A style of painting and sculpture that follows strict art school rules
1
4.2
A long loose gown worn by professors or judges on special occasions like graduation ceremonies
- Formal
A formal robe and cap that university teachers and students wear at ceremonies like graduations
A formal connection between teachers and their students at school or university
How Practical
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
A helpful way to remember the 'theoretical' sense is to think of academic as 'from the academy', a place where people study ideas in books and classes. That's why academic can mean 'overly theoretical' or not connected to real life.