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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:

Along the way, Segev has had to learn how to be a CEO.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

We can’t eliminate normalcy bias, but we can learn to recognize warning signs before they become emergencies.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

In the first half of “Peck & Peck,” we learn that Batter has been named after a family dog whose superhero escapades were recounted in reverent tones throughout his childhood by his mother, Rainey.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

"You learn a lot in games like today," Iraola said.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

“Earl, didn’t she try to learn French just because of that song?”

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

“Sometimes she has a new perspective and sometimes the world has changed. But in every case, she’ll take responsibility when she’s made a mistake and learns from it.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

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

Maria soon after learns that her father, from whom she has been estranged for decades, has been murdered in an Alabama beach town, leaving her his house and worldly goods.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 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

He learns about the Holocaust, Anne Frank and the Jews.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

I knew that U2 had worked with Dolly — I’d heard the track already, and we listened to it again, having learned of her death.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

I learned most of my U.S. history from C-Span, and life goes smoother when you “Pretend to Know Something.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

"If there's one thing I've learned it's that compassionate care makes such a difference to families."

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Michael, Bono told an interviewer that you were together when you learned that Dolly Parton had died.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

Although I’ll never be able to control it, I have learned to master it.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Griffith said she felt "sadness and frustration that women had to go through these experiences" for the review to happen and she wants lessons to be learnt across the industry.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

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

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

"And I feel like I learnt to do that too," she says.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

"Have we learnt from it? No, I think we're bad at learning… It was so obvious as a Commander that we were heading for strategic failure".

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

When we first acquired the motor-boat, my youngest sister was four and I was seven, and by then all of us had learnt to swim.

From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl

“We’re learning a ton from our Ukrainian partners,” Gen. Grynkewich said in an answer to a question.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

She initially released the video and spoke to the San Francisco Standard last week upon learning of his upcoming hearing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

Raman and her team have defended her various policy shifts, saying she made them after receiving new information, learning about changed circumstances or simply giving an issue a second look.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

For years, people with the condition were assumed to have profound learning disabilities but Romi, who uses special eye-gaze technology to communicate, is hoping to challenge that belief.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

I was fast learning that our work schedule was dictated solely by the master’s needs, not by ours, and definitely not by any conventions of the outside world.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo




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