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 Initially driven by high school pupils, teachers, higher education students and trade unions have since joined the ranks of the protests. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026 The majority of protesters have been peaceful, but violence on the fringes is having an impact, with a daily menu of fireworks thrown at police and volleys of tear gas fired at high school pupils. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 Thunberg, who rose to fame as a teenage protester against climate change but has since broadened her activism, said the French pupils deserved wider support. — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026 Being in a state of desire produces physical reactions that are difficult to manufacture — sweat, blood rushing, dilated pupils — while offering up the human impulses behind the work, like what excites a designer and what they’re drawn to. — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pupil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pupil
  1. student
  2. adherent
  3. scholar
  4. disciple
  5. follower
Noun
  • Calhoun graduated from Cincinnati in 2004 and was a student assistant under Huggins during the 2003-04 season.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • School districts in New York, Kansas, Pennsylvania and Missouri have included caffeine pouches in student conduct policies or prohibited their use on campus.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of student
Noun
  • But experts and adherents alike warn that this idea fails to reckon with how different traditions and worldviews can often contradict one another.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • And what's wild is that the Coke drinking habit has another notable adherent.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of adherent
Noun
  • During that period and beyond, Hawthorne kept a series of notebooks, which scholars see as an important primary source for understanding the ideas and descriptions that informed his early writings and later novels.
    — Robert S. Levine, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • For decades, hundreds of thousands of its objects were available only to scholars and curators.
    — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of scholar
Noun
  • Obeying Christ, the soon-to-be disciples got a hands-on lesson in the power of deeper, more humble prayers rather than surface-level efforts.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In particular, Greek mathematician-philosopher Pythagoras and his disciples may have associated beans with reincarnation, so some thought eating them was technically an act of cannibalism.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of disciple
Noun
  • An analysis published by NYU’s Journal of Intellectual Property & Entertainment Law discusses how younger consumers embrace dupe culture and proudly share affordable alternatives with friends and followers.
    — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The millennial creator, who shares personal finance advice with more than 2 million followers, is challenging the money rules younger generations have long heard from their parents and grandparents.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 22 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pupil

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pupil

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