study

/ˈstʌd.i//ˈstʌd.i/

study verb: to review materials already learned in order to make sure one does not forget them, usually in preparation for an examination.

Verb

study (third-person singular simple present studies, present participle studying, simple past and past participle studied)

(intransitive, literary, transitive, usually) To review materials already learned in order to make sure one does not forget them, usually in preparation for an examination.
- Students are expected to start studying for final exams in March.
- I need to study my biology notes.
(literary, transitive) To take a course or courses on a subject.
- I study medicine at the university.
(transitive) To acquire knowledge on a subject with the intention of applying it in practice.
- Biologists study living things.
- In 2015, scientists found that 82 percent of glaciers studied in China had decreased in size.
(transitive) To look at carefully and minutely.
- He studied the map in preparation for the hike.
(transitive) To fix the mind closely upon a subject; to dwell upon anything in thought; to muse; to ponder.
- July 10, 1732, Jonathan Swift, letter to Mr. Gay and The Duchess of Queensberry
  I found a moral first, and studied for a fable.
- There is no occasion to study attire so long as one is suitably clothed for the warm days of September.1920, A.S. Horwood, The Sphere:An Illustrated Newspaper for the Home, page 62
(archaic, intransitive) To endeavor diligently; to be zealous.
- And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you […]1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Noun

study (countable and uncountable, plural studies)

Mental effort to acquire knowledge or learning.
- The study of languages is fascinating.
- During the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent thirteen hours of the day in study; by which assiduity besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy, he read over in a manner all classic authors that are extant;[…].1661, Fell, John, The Life of the most learned, reverend and pious Dr. H. Hammond, page 334
The act of studying or examining; examination.
- I made a careful study of his sister.
- Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis:[…]. The evolutionary precursor of photosynthesis is still under debate, and a new study sheds light. The critical component of the photosynthetic system is the “water-oxidizing complex”, made up of...2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist
Any particular branch of learning that is studied; any object of attentive consideration.
- The Holy Scriptures, especially the New Testament, are her daily study.1762, Law, Edmund, An extract from: A serious call to a devout and holy life
- The proper study of mankind is man.1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], epistle II, London: […] J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC
A room in a house intended for reading and writing; traditionally the private room of the male head of household.
- Father spends all his time in the study poring over manuscripts.
- his cheery little study1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Introductory”, in The Scarlet Letter, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC
Synonyms:

home office, cabinet, closet
An artwork made in order to practise or demonstrate a subject or technique.
- a study of heads or of hands for a figure picture
The human face, bearing an expression which the observer finds amusingly typical of a particular emotion or state of mind.
- Geoffrey's face was a study.
- Geoffrey's face was a study in amazement [or in bewilderment, irritation, distress etc.]
A piece for special practice; an etude.
(literary) An academic publication.
- That new study on noncommutative symmetries looks promising.
One who commits a theatrical part to memory.
An endgame problem composed for artistic merit, where one side is to play for a win or for a draw.
(obsolete) A state of mental perplexity or worried thought.
- wel said the kynge thow mayst take myn hors by force but and I myȝte preue the whether thow were better on horsbak or I / wel said the knyght seke me here whan thow wolt and here nygh this wel thow shalt fynde me / and soo passyd on his weye / thenne the kyng sat in a study and bad his men fetche...1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter XX, in Le Morte Darthur, book I
- When they had stood for a while without speech, gazing over the sea, Gro spake and said, “Consider how as day now dieth in yonder chambers of the west, so hath the glory departed from Witchland.” ¶ But the Red Foliot answered him not, being in a study.1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 36
(archaic) Thought, as directed to a specific purpose; one's concern.
- My study was to avoid disturbing her.
- Just men they seemd, and all thir study bent / To worship God aright, and know his works.1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished...

study meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

study in Hindi

to revise/review materials: पढ़ना paṛhnā
to take a course: अध्ययन करना adhyayan karnā
to acquire knowledge: पढ़ना paṛhnā, सीखना sīkhnā, पढ़ाई करना paṛhāī karnā
mental effort to acquire knowledge: पढ़ाई paṛhāī, अध्ययन adhyayan

study in Tamil

to revise/review materials: படி paṭi, கல் kal
mental effort to acquire knowledge: படிப்பு paṭippu
academic publication: ஆய்வு āyvu

study in Marathi

to revise/review materials: अभ्यासणे abhyāsṇe
to take a course: शिकणे śikṇe
to acquire knowledge: शिकणे śikṇe
to look at minutely: अभ्यासणे abhyāsṇe

study in Urdu

to take a course: مُطالَعَہ کَرْنا mutāla'a karnā
to acquire knowledge: پَڑْھنا paṛhnā, سِیکْھنا sīkhnā, مُطالَعَہ کَرْنا mutāla'a karnā, پَڑھائی کَرْنا paṛhāī karnā
mental effort to acquire knowledge: پَڑْھائی paṛhāī, دَرْس dars, مُطالَعَہ mutāla'a

More languagesFewer languages

study in Bengali: শিক্ষা করা śikkha kora, শেখা śekha, শিক্ষা śikkha
study in Telugu: చదువు caduvu
study in Malayalam: പഠിക്കുക paṭhikkuka, പഠനം paṭhanaṁ
study in Kannada: ಅಧ್ಯಯನ adhyayana
study in Punjabi: ਪੜ੍ਹਾਈ paṛhāī, پڑھائی paṛhā'ī, ਪੜ੍ਹਣਾ paṛhṇā, سکھنا sikkhṇā
study in Gujarati: ભણવું bhaṇvũ, પઢવું paḍhvũ
study in Odia: ଆଲୋଚନ ālocana
study in Sanskrit: शिक्षति śikṣati, परीक्षते parīkṣate, पठन paṭhana
study in Assamese: পঢ়া-শুনা কৰা porha-xuna kora, অধ্যয়ন কৰা odhyoyon kora, পঢ়া-শুনা porha-xuna, অধ্যয়ন odhyoyon
study in Nepali: अध्ययन, अध्ययन गर्नुहोस्
study in Pashto: څېړل ceṛᶕl, مطالعه کول motāle'akawᶕl
study in Tagalog: mag-aral, matuto
study in Arabic: ذَاكَرَ ḏākara, دَرَسَ darasa, تَعَلَّمَ taʕallama, تَعَلُّم taʕallum
study in Malay: ulang kaji, belajar, meneliti, pengajian
study in Indonesian: belajar, mempelajari, mengkaji, kajian
study in Persian: درآموختن darāmuxtan
study in Thai: ศึกษา sʉ̀k-sǎa, เรียน riian
study in Vietnamese: học, sự học tập, văn phòng
study in Myanmar: သင် sang, လေ့လာ le.la, စာဖတ်ခန်း cahpathkan:
Kashmiri: پَرُن parun, ہێچھُن hechun

Examples of study in a sentence

Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.1699, Temple, William, Heads designed for an essay on conversations:
The evolutionary precursor of photosynthesis is still under debate, and a new study sheds light.2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist:

All 40 example sentences with study

Synonyms of study

1 more synonymsFewer synonyms

exploration

All synonyms of study

Forms of study

Verb
third-person singular present	studies
present participle	studying
past participle	studied
past	studied
second-person singular present (archaic)	studiest
third-person singular present (archaic)	studieth
Noun
plural	studies

Past tense of study: studied

Plural of study: studies

Origin of study

Inherited from Middle English studien, from Old French estudier (Modern French étudier), from estudie (noun), borrowed from Latin studium. Displaced Old English cneordlæcan.

Inherited from Middle English studie, from Old French estudie (Modern French étude), borrowed from Latin studium (“zeal, dedication, study”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewd- (“to push, to hit”). Doublet of etude and studio.

Phrases with study

2 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with study

Questions about study

What does study mean?: Study means to review materials already learned in order to make sure one does not forget them, usually in preparation for an examination.
What is study in Hindi?: Study in Hindi is पढ़ना (paṛhnā), अध्ययन करना (adhyayan karnā), सीखना (sīkhnā). See Study meaning in Hindi.
How do you use study in a sentence?: Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.
What part of speech is study?: Study can be a verb or a noun.
How do you pronounce study?: Study is pronounced /ˈstʌd.i/ (UK).
What is the past tense of study?: The past tense of study is studied.

Words near study in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: study (page history and authors); ಅಧ್ಯಯನ (Kannada) (page history and authors); سکھنا (Punjabi) (page history and authors); પઢવું (Gujarati) (page history and authors); ଆଲୋଚନ (Odia) (page history and authors); study (Nepali, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-uk-to study.ogg, en-us-study.ogg.

Cite this entry: “study.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/study. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.