pupil

noun

ˈpyü-pəl How to pronounce pupil (audio)
Definition of pupilnext
1
as in student
one who attends a school generally there are 20 pupils in each class

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in adherent
one who follows the opinions or teachings of another to pupils of the philosopher Henry David Thoreau, the shores of Walden Pond are hallowed ground

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pupil Missing out on that revenue could prompt the district to make notable cuts, given district expenses are continuing to rise, as reduced enrollment is affecting per-pupil funding and as the district has seen a decrease in federal funding, according to the district. — Sofi Zeman june 27, Kansas City Star, 27 June 2026 Orange County Public Schools, which lost 5,600 students this past year and expects to lose about another 3,000 students next year — meaning $26 million less in per-pupil funding. — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026 Between 1968 and 1999, Jaray ran the postgraduate course at Slade, where her pupils included Turner Prize–winning British artist Martin Creed, among many others. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 25 June 2026 The Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes, found that in 2025, just 36% of white British pupils on free school meals achieve a Grade 4 or above in English and Maths GCSE, compared with 72% of non-free school meal pupils. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pupil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pupil
  1. student
  2. adherent
  3. scholar
  4. disciple
  5. follower
Noun
  • Through The Blue Card, I have been involved in developing a hologram program featuring Sonia Warshawski, a survivor whose testimony has been preserved and made interactive for students.
    — Masha Pearl, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
  • High school students who took Advanced Placement (AP) tests during the 2025-2026 school year will soon be able to see their scores.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of student
Noun
  • Many liberals had been disciplined to adopt methods that purported to strictly confine legal interpretation, only to discover that their most prominent adherents, whether covertly or unconsciously, had other plans.
    — Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
  • Bridgers is a strict adherent to Attenborough’s Law.
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026
Definition of adherent
Noun
  • For a quarter century, Jane Calvert has been on a mission shared by few scholars of the Revolutionary War era.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Debate over the World War I-era killings, widely seen by scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century, now collides with international accusations over Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of scholar
Noun
  • The text is a philosophical treatise on ethics and human moral progress, and the final column revealed the name Aristocreon, a nephew and disciple of the Stoic philosopher Chrysippus.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 June 2026
  • Back in his coaching career, Cruyff was one of the first managers to be obsessed with the cut of the pitch — a trait that has passed over to his disciples, most notably the exacting Pep Guardiola.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of disciple
Noun
  • The mom of two shares videos and photos of her fashion creations and her daughters wearing them with over 29,000 TikTok followers.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • In 1776, the year the Declaration of Independence was signed, Quakers made a formal stance against slavery, prohibiting followers of the faith from engaging in the institution.
    — Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of follower

Browse Nearby Words

pupae
pupil
pupils
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pupil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pupil. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pupil

Nglish: Translation of pupil for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pupil

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