learn
gain knowledge or skills
How often you will meet it
Rank 864 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 21,266 times across 175,173 chapters — 0.010% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 1,000 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
verb
- gain knowledge or skills also: larn, acquire She learned dancing from her sisterI learned Sanskrit
- get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally also: hear, get word, get wind, pick up, find out, get a line I learned that she has two grown-up childrenI see that you have been promoted
- commit to memory; learn by heart also: memorize, memorise, con Have you memorized your lines for the play yet?
- be a student of a certain subject also: study, read, take She is reading for the bar exam
- impart skills or knowledge to also: teach, instruct I taught them FrenchHe instructed me in building a boat
- find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort also: determine, check, find out, see, ascertain, watch I want to see whether she speaks FrenchSee whether it works
learn in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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For instance, I'm trying to learn Russian.
The Crown of Life · George Gissing · Chapter 1
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So much did Maxence learn without difficulty.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1
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He could learn nothing of a definite nature.
The Shadow of a Crime: A Cumbrian Romance · Hall, Sir Caine · Chapter 1
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She was quick to learn, but forgetful and dreamy, and not disposed to take the matter seriously.
Ethan Frome · Edith Wharton · Chapter 1
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He was impatient to reach the Cedars where he might learn all that Howells hadn't told him about his grandfather's death.
The Abandoned Room · Wadsworth Camp · Chapter 1