/ lɜːn; NAmE lɜːrn/ verb ( learnt , learnt / lɜːnt; NAmE lɜːrnt/) or ( learned , learned )
1.
learn (sth) (from sb/sth) to gain knowledge or skill by studying, from experience, from being taught, etc. :
[ vn ]
to learn a language / a musical instrument / a skill
I learned a lot from my father.
You can learn a great deal just from watching other players.
[ v ]
She's very keen to learn about Japanese culture.
The book is about how children learn.
[ v to inf , v wh- ]
He's learning to dance.
He's still learning how to dance.
[ v wh- ]
Today we learnt how to use the new software.
2.
learn (of / about) sth to become aware of sth by hearing about it from sb else
SYN discover :
[ v ]
I learnt of her arrival from a close friend.
[ v ( that )]
We were very surprised to learn (that) she had got married again.
[ v wh- ]
We only learned who the new teacher was a few days ago.
[ vn ]
How did they react when they learned the news?
[also vn that ]
3.
[ vn ] to study and repeat sth in order to be able to remember it
SYN memorize :
We have to learn one of Hamlet's speeches for school tomorrow.
4.
learn (from sth) to gradually change your attitudes about sth so that you behave in a different way :
[ v ]
I'm sure she'll learn from her mistakes.
[ v ( that )]
He'll just have to learn (that) he can't always have his own way.
[ v to inf ]
I soon learned not to ask too many questions.
•
IDIOMS
- learn (sth) the hard way
- learn your lesson
—more at cost noun , live (I), rope noun
••
VOCABULARY BUILDING
learning
learn
He's learning Spanish / to swim.
study
She studied chemistry for three years.
revise ( BrE ) ( NAmE review )
In this class we'll revise / review what we did last week.
practise ( BrE ) ( NAmE practice )
If you practise speaking English, you'll soon improve.
rehearse
We only had two weeks to rehearse the play.
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English leornian learn (in Middle English also teach ), of West Germanic origin; related to German lernen , also to lore .