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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

u·ni·ver·si·ty       (yōō'nə-vûr'sĭ-tē)  Pronunciation Key  n.   pl. u·ni·ver·si·ties An institution for higher learning with teaching and research facilities constituting a graduate school and professional schools that award master's degrees and doctorates and an undergraduate division that awards bachelor's degrees. The buildings and grounds of such an institution. The body of students and faculty of such an institution. [Middle English universite, from Old French, from Medieval Latin ūniversitās, from Latin, the whole, a corporate body, from ūniversus, whole; see universe.]

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
university 

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

university
noun
1.	the body of faculty and students at a university
2.	establishment where a seat of higher learning is housed, including administrative and living quarters as well as facilities for research and teaching
3.	a large and diverse institution of higher learning created to educate for life and for a profession and to grant degrees

U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

University Park, IL (village, FIPS 76935) Location: 41.44240 N, 87.70963 W
Population (1990): 6204 (2227 housing units)
Area: 20.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 60466

University Cente, MI Zip code(s): 48706

University City, MO (city, FIPS 75220) Location: 38.66623 N, 90.33108 W
Population (1990): 40087 (17706 housing units)
Area: 15.2 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 63130

University Park, NM (CDP, FIPS 81030) Location: 32.27815 N, 106.74734 W
Population (1990): 4520 (647 housing units)
Area: 4.1 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

University Park, MD (town, FIPS 79675) Location: 38.97127 N, 76.94370 W
Population (1990): 2243 (905 housing units)
Area: 1.3 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

University Place, WA (CDP, FIPS 73465) Location: 47.21910 N, 122.54244 W
Population (1990): 27701 (11546 housing units)
Area: 20.4 sq km (land), 3.6 sq km (water)

University Park, IA (city, FIPS 79815) Location: 41.28671 N, 92.61578 W
Population (1990): 604 (203 housing units)
Area: 2.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

University Heights, VA (CDP, FIPS 80144) Location: 38.03708 N, 78.53309 W
Population (1990): 6900 (1019 housing units)
Area: 11.2 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water)

University Heights, OH (city, FIPS 78932) Location: 41.49470 N, 81.53552 W
Population (1990): 14790 (5286 housing units)
Area: 4.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

University Heights, IA (city, FIPS 79770) Location: 41.65450 N, 91.55802 W
Population (1990): 1042 (480 housing units)
Area: 0.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

University Gardens, NY (CDP, FIPS 76287) Location: 40.77475 N, 73.72791 W
Population (1990): 4419 (1780 housing units)
Area: 1.4 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

University West, FL (CDP, FIPS 73306) Location: 28.06930 N, 82.43520 W
Population (1990): 23760 (14910 housing units)
Area: 10.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

University Park, TX (city, FIPS 74492) Location: 32.85008 N, 96.79311 W
Population (1990): 22259 (8983 housing units)
Area: 9.6 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

West University Place, TX (city, FIPS 77956) Location: 29.71520 N, 95.43135 W
Population (1990): 12920 (5680 housing units)
Area: 5.2 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

University, MS Zip code(s): 38677

University, VA Zip code(s): 22903

State University, AR Zip code(s): 72467

Miami University, OH Zip code(s): 45056

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

University

U`ni*ver"si*ty\, n.; pl. Universities. [OE. universite, L. universitas all together, the whole, the universe, a number of persons associated into one body, a society, corporation, fr. universus all together, universal: cf. F. universit['e]. See Universe.]

1. The universe; the whole. [Obs.] --Dr. H. More.

2. An association, society, guild, or corporation, esp. one capable of having and acquiring property. [Obs.]

The universities, or corporate bodies, at Rome were very numerous. There were corporations of bakers, farmers of the revenue, scribes, and others. --Eng. Cyc.

3. An institution organized and incorporated for the purpose of imparting instruction, examining students, and otherwise promoting education in the higher branches of literature, science, art, etc., empowered to confer degrees in the several arts and faculties, as in theology, law, medicine, music, etc. A university may exist without having any college connected with it, or it may consist of but one college, or it may comprise an assemblage of colleges established in any place, with professors for instructing students in the sciences and other branches of learning.

The present universities of Europe were, originally, the greater part of them, ecclesiastical corporations, instituted for the education of churchmen . . . What was taught in the greater part of those universities was suitable to the end of their institutions, either theology or something that was merely preparatory to theology. --A. Smith.

Note: From the Roman words universitas, collegium, corpus, are derived the terms university, college, and corporation, of modern languages; and though these words have obtained modified significations in modern times, so as to be indifferently applicable to the same things, they all agree in retaining the fundamental signification of the terms, whatever may have been added to them. There is now no university, college, or corporation, which is not a juristical person in the sense above explained [see def. 2, above]; wherever these words are applied to any association of persons not stamped with this mark, it is an abuse of terms. --Eng. Cyc.