EDUCATE Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

educate

verb

ˈe-jə-ˌkāt

Definition of educate next

as in to teach

to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field a revered professor of astronomy who is credited with educating many of today's leading astronomers

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as in to inspire

to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding the belief that parents better educate their children by example than by sending them to Sunday school

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of educate Mau advised people — especially those who live in areas with lots of wildlife — to be educated about rabies risks. —

Kelli Arseneau, USA Today, 1 July 2026 Employers already educate staff on retirement savings and open enrollment; survivor benefits deserve the same treatment. —

Christine Michel Carter, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Six California metro areas ranked among the 10 least educated in the country, with five located in the Central Valley. —

Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026 For Cromwell, Monticello was a chance to educate herself, to become a better person — and, like countless others before her, using Thomas Jefferson as a prism. —

ABC News, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for educate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for educate

Verb

The state’s Holocaust Education Bill, passed in 1994, requires every school district to teach the Holocaust with the explicit aim of building tolerance, nurturing democratic values, and confronting what indifference produces.

— Masha Pearl, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
Lyons taught in the island elementary school for more than 20 years, until there were no more students to teach.

— Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Definition of teach

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edits (out)

educate

educated

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“Educate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/educate. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of educate

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