learnverb
uk/lɜːn/us/lɝːn/learned or UK also learnt, learned or UK also learntA1 [ I or T ] to get knowledge or skill in a new subject or activity:
They learn Russian at school.
"Can you drive?" "I'm learning."
I've learned a lot about computers since I started work here.
[ + to infinitive ] I'm learning to play the piano.
[ + question word + to infinitive ] First you'll learn (how) to use this machine.
B1 [ T ] to make yourself remember a piece of writing by reading it or repeating it many times:
I don't know how actors manage to learn all those lines.
We were told to learn Portia's speech by heart (= be able to say it from memory) for homework.
B2 [ I or T ] to start to understand that you must change the way you behave:
She'll have to learn that she can't have everything she wants.
She soon learned not to contradict him.
He's not afraid to learn from his mistakes.
B1 [ I or T ] to be told facts or information that you did not know:
We were all shocked to learn of his death.
[ + (that) ] I later learned (that) the message had never arrived.
I only learned about the accident later.
More examples
- My daughter is just starting to learn how to do joined-up writing at school.
- Every week our French teacher gives us a list of vocabulary to learn.
- My youngest child is learning to ride a bike.
- We learned about the geography of Australia.
- You're going to have to learn to control your temper.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Learning & knowing
- assimilate
- autodidact
- blended learning
- bone up
- brain training
- by-heart
- deskill
- feel
- gen up
- hit
- know better (than sb) idiom
- knowable
- mug
- mug (sth) up
- pick sth up
- quick
- reskill
- revision
- specialize
- tell
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Remembering, reminding and reminders
Understanding and comprehending
Idiom(s)
learn a/your lesson
learn to live with sth