Synonyms for pupil
ˈpyu pəlpupil

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 2 votes

1. pupil

   The primary sense of a scholar is one who is being schooled; thence the word passes to denote one who is apt in school work, and finally one who is thoroughly schooled, master of what the schools can teach, an erudite, accomplished person: when used without qualification, the word is generally understood in this latter sense; as, he is manifestly a scholar. Pupil signifies one under the close personal supervision or instruction of a teacher or tutor. Those under instruction in schools below the academic grade are technically and officially termed pupils. The word pupil is uniformly so used in the Reports of the Commissioner of Education of the United States, but popular American usage prefers scholar in the original sense; as, teachers and scholars enjoyed a holiday. Those under instruction in Sunday-schools are uniformly designated as Sunday-school scholars. Student is applied to those in the higher grades or courses of study, as the academic, collegiate, scientific, etc. Student suggests less proficiency than scholar in the highest sense, the student being one who is learning, the scholar one who has learned. On the other hand, student suggests less of personal supervision than pupil; thus, the college student often becomes the private pupil of some instructor in special studies. For disciple, etc., compare synonyms for ADHERENT.

   Synonyms:
   disciple, learner, savant, scholar, student

   Antonyms:
   dunce, fool, idiot, idler, ignoramus, illiterate person

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pupil

   Synonyms:
   scholar, learner, student, tyro, novice, ward

   Antonyms:
   teacher, master, proficient, adept, guardian

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:1.0 / 2 votes

1. student, pupil, educateenoun

   a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution

   Synonyms:
   bookman, scholar, schoolchild, scholarly person, student, school-age child, educatee, pupil

2. pupilnoun

   the contractile aperture in the center of the iris of the eye; resembles a large black dot

   Synonyms:
   school-age child, educatee, student, schoolchild

3. schoolchild, school-age child, pupilnoun

   a young person attending school (up through senior high school)

   Synonyms:
   school-age child, schoolchild, student, educatee, pupil

Matched Categories

1. • Aperture
   • Enrollee
   • Young Person

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:3.3 / 6 votes

1. mentee

   Submitted by acronimous on January 19, 2014  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pupilnoun

   Synonyms:
   (anat.) apple of the eye

2. pupilnoun

   Synonyms:
   learner, scholar, disciple, student, tyro, neophyte, CATECHUMEN, ELEVE

3. pupilnoun

   Synonyms:
   (Law.) ward

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pupilnoun

   Synonyms:
   scholar, learner, disciple, catechumen, neophyte, tyro, novice, probationer

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:1.0 / 1 vote

1. List of paraphrases for "pupil":

   student, pupils, students, ward, disciple, learner

Suggested Resources

1. pupil

   Song lyrics by pupil -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by pupil on the Lyrics.com website.

How to pronounce pupil ?

How to say pupil in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use pupil in a sentence?

1. Horace Mann:

   A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on a cold iron.

2. Emerson:

   The secret of education lies in respecting the pupil.

3. John Stuart Mill:

   The pupil who is never required to do what he cannot do, never does what he can do.

4. Oliver Wendell Holmes:

   The mind of a bigot is like the pupil of the eye. The more light you shine on it, the more it will contract.

5. Gentle Blythe:

   California has one of the lowest per-pupil spending among all of the states, which just means there's fewer resources day to day to make any kind of change such as the kinds of changes that we've had to make happen.