tuition

tuition — noun

1. teaching that is given to one student or a small group, often outside a regular

1.nounB1
Definition

teaching that is given to one student or a small group, often outside a regular school classroom or as extra help beyond normal lessons

Example

Dario gives private tuition in mathematics to high school students on weekends.

private tuition in [subject]

After class, Min received one-on-one tuition to prepare for her chemistry exam.

one-on-one tuition

Common collocations
  • private tuition
  • one-on-one tuition
  • individual tuition
  • group tuition
  • tuition in [subject]
  • extra tuition
  • receive tuition
  • provide tuition
Synonyms
  • instruction

    more general and formal; can refer to any kind of teaching, not necessarily one-on-one

  • tutoring

    specifically one-on-one or small-group help, often remedial or supplementary

  • coaching

    suggests preparation for exams or performance, sometimes in a non-academic skill

  • lessons

    refers to individual sessions rather than the overall activity; countable

Grammar Patterns

tuition in [subject]

private tuition

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 2: in British English, tuition typically refers to the teaching itself; in American English, the word alone often refers to fees, so modifiers like private or one-on-one help make this sense clear.

Common Mistakes

I had a tuition about math yesterday.
I had a private tuition session in math yesterday.
Tuition as teaching is uncountable and is not used with an article for a single event.
The school offers tuitions in several languages.
The school offers tuition in several languages.
Tuition is uncountable and does not take a plural form.

2. the amount of money a student or their family pays to receive instruction, espec

2.nounB1
Definition

the amount of money a student or their family pays to receive instruction, especially at a college, university, or private school

Example

University tuition has risen sharply over the past ten years in many countries.

tuition rises / increases

Hannah's parents saved money for years to cover her college tuition.

cover tuition

Common collocations
  • pay tuition
  • cover tuition
  • college tuition
  • university tuition
  • tuition costs
  • tuition fees
  • tuition increase
  • annual tuition
  • out-of-state tuition
  • tuition payment
Synonyms
  • fees

    broader term that can include registration, lab, and library fees, not just instructional costs

  • school fees

    more common in British English; often covers all charges at a school, not just instruction

  • tuition fees

    emphasises that the payment is specifically for teaching, not for other costs like housing

Grammar Patterns

pay tuition

tuition costs

tuition fees

Usage Note

In American English, tuition alone usually refers to the fee; in British English, the phrase tuition fees or tuition costs is more common for this sense.

Common Mistakes

The university charges high tuitions for international students.
The university charges high tuition for international students.
Tuition is uncountable; use 'tuition fees' or 'tuition costs' if a plural form is needed.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words refer to the act of teaching, but they differ in scope and setting. Tuition (B1) is typically extra help outside the main classroom, given one-on-one or to a small group. Tutoring (B2) overlaps strongly but emphasises remedial or exam-focused support. Instruction (B1) is the broadest term — it can describe any kind of teaching, from a lecture hall to a cooking video. Coaching (B2) is goal-oriented: a coach prepares you for a test, a sport, or a performance. Lessons (A2) are countable individual sessions (a piano lesson), whereas tuition is uncountable and describes the activity as a whole. For example: 'Dario gives tuition in maths' (general activity) vs. 'Dario gives maths lessons every Tuesday' (each Tuesday is one lesson).

tuition ↗tutoringinstruction ↗coachinglessons

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • tuition and fees
  • room and board

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinAnglo-FrenchEnglish

The word tuition entered English in the 1400s from Anglo-French, with the original meaning of 'care, custody, or guardianship'. It comes from Latin tuitio, meaning 'a watching over, protection', from the verb tueri 'to look after, watch over'. Over time the meaning shifted from the guardian's role of protecting a child to the tutor's role of teaching that child, giving us the modern sense of 'instruction'. The financial meaning ('money paid for teaching') developed in the 19th century as formal education became more institutionalised.