Standard Lemma guide

teaching

noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈtiːt͡ʃɪŋ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːtʃɪŋ
  • CMU ARPABET: T IY1 CH IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Something taught by a religious or philosophical authority.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Many follow the teachings of Confucius.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The profession of educating people; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Teaching has seen continual changes over the past decades.
  • I have found a teaching job.
  • a teaching assistant

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tutelage

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

present participle and gerund of teach

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he received no formal education
  • our instruction was carefully programmed
  • good classroom teaching is seldom rewarded

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: education, instruction, pedagogy, didactics, educational activity

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: activity

Narrower terms: coeducation, continuing education, course, course of study, course of instruction, class, elementary education, extension, extension service, university extension, extracurricular activity, higher education, secondary education, team teaching, work-study program

5

noun

Meaning 5

the profession of a teacher

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he prepared for teaching while still in college
  • pedagogy is recognized as an important profession

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: instruction, pedagogy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: education

Narrower terms: catechesis, catechetical instruction, language teaching, teaching reading, schooling, indoctrination, tutelage, tuition, tutorship, lesson, sleep-learning, hypnopedia, spoonfeeding, lecture, lecturing

6

noun

Meaning 6

a doctrine that is taught

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the teachings of religion
  • he believed all the Christian precepts

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: precept, commandment

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: doctrine, philosophy, philosophical system, school of thought, ism

Narrower terms: Golden Rule, mitzvah, mitsvah

History

Etymology

From Middle English teching, techinge, from Old English tǣċing, tǣċung (“instruction, direction, teaching”), equivalent to teach + -ing.

From Middle English techinge, techynge, techende, techand, from Old English tǣċende, from Proto-Germanic *taikijandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *taikijaną (“to show, point out”), equivalent to teach + -ing.

Across languages

Translations

85 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: təlim — something taught
  • Bulgarian: учение (učenie) — something taught
  • Catalan: ensenyament — something taught
  • Chinese Mandarin: 教導 /教导 (jiàodǎo) — something taught
  • Chinese Mandarin: 教誨 /教诲 (jiàohuì) — something taught
  • Maore Comorian: musomo — something taught
  • Czech: učení — something taught
  • Dutch: onderwijzing — something taught
  • Dutch: leer — something taught
  • Egyptian: s-b-sbA-A-i-i-t:Y1 (sbꜣyt) — something taught
  • Esperanto: instruo — something taught
  • Finnish: oppi — something taught
  • Finnish: opetus — something taught
  • French: doctrine — something taught
  • French: enseignement — something taught
  • German: Lehre — something taught
  • Greek: δίδαγμα (dídagma) — something taught
  • Ancient Greek: διδαχή (didakhḗ) — something taught
  • Ancient Greek: διδασκαλία (didaskalía) — something taught
  • Indonesian: ajaran — something taught
  • Irish: teagasc — something taught
  • Italian: insegnamento — something taught
  • Japanese: 教え (oshie) — something taught
  • Japanese: 教訓 (kyōkun) — something taught
  • Ladino: ensenyamiento — something taught
  • Latin: doctrina — something taught
  • Latin: disciplina — something taught
  • Māori: whakaakoranga — something taught
  • Occitan: ensenhament — something taught
  • Old East Slavic: укъ (ukŭ) — something taught
  • Plautdietsch: Lia — something taught
  • Portuguese: ensinamento — something taught
  • Quechua: yachachiy — something taught
  • Romanian: învățătură — something taught
  • Russian: уче́ние (učénije) — something taught
  • Russian: доктри́на (doktrína) — something taught
  • Sanskrit: शिक्षण (śikṣaṇa) — something taught
  • Sanskrit: उपदेश (upadeśa) — something taught
  • Scottish Gaelic: teagasg — something taught
  • Spanish: enseñanza — something taught
  • Swahili: fundisho — something taught
  • Swedish: lära — something taught
  • Tamil: அறிவுரை (aṟivurai) — something taught
  • Ottoman Turkish: تدریس (tedris) — something taught
  • Arabic: تَعْلِيم (taʕlīm) — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Bulgarian: преподаване (prepodavane) — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Bulgarian: обуче́ние (obučénie) — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Catalan: ensenyament — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Chichewa: uphunzitsi — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Chinese Mandarin: 教學 /教学 (jiàoxué) — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Chinese Mandarin: 教授 (jiàoshòu) — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Cornish: adhyskonieth — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Finnish: opettaminen — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Finnish: opetusala — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • French: enseignement — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Galician: ensino — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Galician: ensinanza — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • German: Lehren — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • German: Lehrerberuf — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • German: Lehrtätigkeit — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • German: Unterrichtstätigkeit — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • German: Unterrichten — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Hungarian: tanítás — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Hungarian: oktatás — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Indonesian: pengajaran — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Irish: múinteoireacht — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Irish: teagasc — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Japanese: 教職 (kyōshoku) — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Japanese: 教えること (oshieru koto) — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Japanese: 教授 (kyōju) — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Malayalam: അദ്ധ്യാപനം (addhyāpanaṁ) — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Polish: nauczycielstwo — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Polish: belferka — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Polish: belferstwo — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Portuguese: ensino — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Romanian: predare — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Russian: преподава́ние (prepodavánije) — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Russian: обуче́ние (obučénije) — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Scottish Gaelic: teagasg — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Spanish: enseñanza — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Spanish: docencia — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Spanish: ámbito didáctico — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Swahili: ualimu — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Swedish: lärande — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
  • Tamil: கற்பித்தல் (kaṟpittal) — the profession of teaching; the activity that a teacher does when he/she teaches
Real reading context

teaching in complete knowledge articles