college

Etymology

From Middle English college, from Middle French college, from Old French college, from Latin collēgium.

noun

1. (obsolete) A corporate group; a group of colleagues.
2. (in some proper nouns) A group sharing common purposes or goals.
   College of Cardinals, College of Surgeons
3. (politics) An electoral college.
4. An academic institution.
   1. A specialized division of a university.
      College of Engineering
   2. (chiefly US) An institution of higher education teaching undergraduates.
      She's still in college
      These should be his college years, but he joined the Army.
   3. (Ireland, Philippines) A university.
   4. (Canada) A postsecondary institution that offers vocational training and/or associate's degrees.
   5. (chiefly UK) A non-specialized, semi-autonomous division of a university, with its own faculty, departments, library, etc.
      Pembroke College, Cambridge
      Balliol College, Oxford
      University College, London
   6. (UK) An institution of further education at an intermediate level; sixth form.
   7. (UK) An institution for adult education at a basic or intermediate level (teaching those of any age).
   8. (UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa) A high school or secondary school.
      Eton College
   9. (Australia) A private (non-government) primary or high school.
   10. (Australia) A residential hall associated with a university, possibly having its own tutors.
   11. (Singapore) A government high school, short for junior college.
   12. (in Chile) A bilingual school.