académico
“académico” means “academic” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
academic
Also: scholarly, theoretical
📝 In Action
El año académico comienza en septiembre.
A2The academic year begins in September.
Necesito mi expediente académico para la beca.
B1I need my academic transcript for the scholarship.
Su estilo de escritura es muy académico.
B2His writing style is very scholarly.
academic
Also: fellow
📝 In Action
Él es un prestigioso académico de la lengua.
B2He is a prestigious fellow of the language academy.
Los académicos votaron a favor de la nueva palabra.
C1The academy members voted in favor of the new word.
Muchos académicos asisten a la conferencia.
B1Many academics are attending the conference.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: académico
Question 1 of 3
How would you say 'the academic year' in Spanish?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Greek word 'Akadēmos,' a hero who had a grove of trees near Athens. Plato started his school in this grove, calling it the 'Academy.' The word eventually passed into Latin as 'academicus.'
First recorded: 16th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use 'académico' to mean a university student?
No. In Spanish, we use 'estudiante' or 'alumno.' 'Académico' as a person usually refers to a high-level professor or a member of a prestigious society.
Does it always have an accent mark?
Yes! In Spanish, words that have the stress on the third-to-last syllable always have an accent mark on that vowel. A-ca-DÉ-mi-co.
Is 'académico' the same as 'scholar'?
Mostly, yes. When used as a noun, it describes a person with deep knowledge or a member of a learned society.