: the courses offered by an educational institution
the high school curriculum
2
: a set of courses constituting an area of specialization
the engineering curriculum
the biological sciences curriculum
the liberal arts curriculum
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The Different Plural Forms of Curriculum
Curriculum is from New Latin (a post-medieval form of Latin used mainly in churches and schools and for scientific coinages), in which language it means “a course of study.” It shares its ultimate root in classical Latin, where it meant “running” or “course” (as in “race course”), with words such as corridor, courier, and currency, all of which come from Latin currere “to run.”
As is the case with many nouns borrowed directly from Latin, there is often some confusion as to the proper way to form its plural. Both curricula and curriculums are considered correct.
This word is frequently seen in conjunction with vitae; a curriculum vitae (Latin for “course of (one’s) life”) is “a short account of one's career and qualifications prepared typically by an applicant for a position” – in other words, a résumé. Curriculum vitae is abbreviated CV, and is pluralized as curriculavitae.
Example Sentences
The college has a liberal arts curriculum.
Recent Examples on the WebIn Escondido, high school administrators invited teachers and students to forsake the routine curriculum and discuss the attacks.San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2022 Prescott’s curriculum has attracted buy-in from local departments. Jori Epstein, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2022 Under this new curriculum, students will learn more about the populations’ fight for civil rights and their contributions to the region and the U.S. Tat Bellamy-walker, NBC News, 7 Sep. 2022 School board meetings, especially, have become battle zones in the fights over masks, remote learning and curriculum.Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2022 The teachers had to modify the curriculum during the pandemic, finding ways to digitally recreate some lessons. Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2022 The new course, which the schools are testing in a pilot program, is a significant step toward legitimizing African American studies in the public eye, says historian Henry Louis Gates Jr., who helped create the curriculum. Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Sep. 2022 With step-by-step sketching and curriculum-based practices, kids can engage in over 60 activities that stimulate their fine motor skills and creativity. Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, 1 Sep. 2022 The curriculum focuses on developing skills for professional careers as on-camera digital content creators, going beyond independent content creation to give participants experience working on professional video sets. Carson Burton, Variety, 1 Sep. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from New Latin, going back to Latin, "action of running, course of action, race," from currere "to run" + -i--i- + -culum, suffix of instrument and place (going back to Indo-European *-tlom) — more at current entry 1