Synonym Chooser

How is the word educate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of educate are discipline, instruct, school, teach, and train. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When might discipline be a better fit than educate?

Although the words discipline and educate have much in common, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

When would instruct be a good substitute for educate?

In some situations, the words instruct and educate are roughly equivalent. However, instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

In what contexts can school take the place of educate?

The words school and educate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

Where would teach be a reasonable alternative to educate?

The synonyms teach and educate are sometimes interchangeable, but teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

When can train be used instead of educate?

The meanings of train and educate largely overlap; however, train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

Examples of educate in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web However, in May, as campaign season was heating up, Zelle marked the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by launching a program with the National Council on Aging to educate older adults on how to avoid online scams. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2024 While Player 456 tries to educate his fellow contestants on how to survive, a bee in the Squid Game arena results in more death. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024 The group's main purpose is to get more fans to the show and to educate Swifties on the ticketing process. Bryan West, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024 Never be superficial, whether in life or work, but study hard, read and educate yourself. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for educate 

Thesaurus Entries Near educate

Cite this Entry

“Educate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/educate. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on educate

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