academically

IPA/ˌækəˈdemɪkli/
KK[ˌækədˈɛmɪkli]IPA/ˌækəˈdemɪkli/

academically — adverb

1. concerning school subjects, learning, and the kind of thinking done at universit

1.adverbB2
Definition

concerning school subjects, learning, and the kind of thinking done at universities, rather than concerning practical work or hands-on skills.

Example

Quinn struggled academically in her first year of high school but found her footing after joining a study group.

do well/poorly academically pattern

The Lin twins are academically gifted, but only Daniel enjoys cooking and fixing things at home.

academically + adjective (gifted)

Common collocations
  • academically gifted
  • academically talented
  • struggle academically
  • perform academically
  • do well academically
  • academically rigorous
  • academically challenging
Synonyms
  • scholastically

    more formal; common in US school reports

  • intellectually

    broader — covers any kind of thinking, not just school work

  • educationally

    focuses on the system of education rather than a person's performance

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

do well/poorly academically

academically + adjective (gifted, strong, weak)

Usage Note

Most often modifies verbs of performance (do, perform, struggle, succeed) or adjectives describing student ability (gifted, strong, weak). Rarely placed before the verb in everyday writing — usually sentence-final or right after the adjective it modifies.

Common Mistakes

She is academically in mathematics.
She is strong academically in mathematics.
academically modifies a verb or adjective; it cannot stand alone as the predicate.
He performed academic well.
He performed academically well.
use the -ly adverb form to modify the verb 'performed'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four describe mental or school-related activity, but they differ in scope. 'Academically' is the everyday choice for talking about how a student is performing in classes — a child who reads well and gets good grades is doing well academically. 'Scholastically' carries the same meaning but sounds more formal and is most often seen in US report cards or college admissions writing. 'Intellectually' is broader: it covers any thinking or reasoning, including outside school, so a curious adult can be intellectually engaged without being academically active. 'Educationally' shifts the focus to the system of education itself, as in 'educationally disadvantaged areas'. Compare: 'Aiko is academically strong' (his grades are high) vs. 'Aiko is intellectually curious' (he likes ideas) vs. 'the region is educationally underfunded' (the schools lack money).

academically ↗scholasticallyintellectually ↗educationally ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • do well academically
  • perform academically
  • academically gifted
  • academically rigorous
  • academically challenging
  • struggle academically
  • speaking academically

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Built in English from the adjective 'academic' plus the adverb-forming suffix '-ally'. 'Academic' came into English in the late 1500s through Latin 'academicus' and ultimately from Greek 'Akademeia', the grove near Athens where Plato taught his students. The adverb form is recorded from the early 1800s, as universities and formal schooling became a common point of reference in everyday speech.