[uni.ver.si.ty] n, pl -ties [ME universite, fr. MF universite, fr. ML universitat-, universitas, fr. L universus] (14c) 1: an institution of higher learning providing facilities for teaching and research and authorized to grant academic degrees; specif: one made up of an undergraduate division which confers bachelor's degrees and a graduate division which comprises a graduate school and professional schools each of which may confer master's degrees and doctorates
2: the physical plant of a university