Tuition

How to spell tuition

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce tuition

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does tuition mean?

1. nounInstruction or teaching, especially given to an individual or a small group.
2. nounThe fee charged for instruction at a school, college, or university.

Tuition in a sentence

• She pays for private tuition in mathematics every week.

• Annual tuition at the university rose sharply this year.

• The college offers extra tuition to students who fall behind.

• A scholarship covered her entire tuition for four years.

Where does tuition come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin tuitio, meaning 'a looking after' or 'guardianship', which was formed from the verb tueri, literally 'to watch, guard, or protect'. English borrowed it through Old French in the 1400s, and at first it carried that older sense of custody and protective care rather than anything to do with learning. The meaning shifted because a guardian's duty naturally included the upbringing and education of those in their charge, so 'tuition' came to mean the act of teaching or instructing. From there British English settled on the sense of teaching itself, while American English extended it to the money paid for that teaching. The same protective tueri root survives in 'tutor' and 'tutelage', which is a useful reminder that the middle of the word is spelled tu-i, the i sitting quietly before the -tion.

How the word is built

• tuit- (from Latin tueri: to watch over, protect)
• -ion (noun of action)