sorbonne
Proper noun: - A historic college of the University of Paris: The Sorbonne was originally founded in the 13th century as a theological college. It became a central and renowned institution within the University of Paris, synonymous with higher learning in France, particularly in the humanities and sciences. - Intellectual center of France: By extension, the name "Sorbonne" refers to the tradition and prestige of Parisian academic life and scholarship, representing a focal point for French intellectual thought and education.
- Proper noun:
- She studied philosophy at the Sorbonne for a year.
- The Sorbonne has a long and distinguished history in European education.
- Many famous philosophers and writers have been associated with the Sorbonne.
- "the Sorbonne": The definite article "the" is almost always used when referring to the institution.
- He dreamed of attending the Sorbonne.
- Used metonymically to represent elite French academic culture or the University of Paris system historically.
- His argument had all the rigidity of the old Sorbonne.
- Sorbonnard (noun, historical): A student or graduate of the Sorbonne.
- Sorbonniste (noun, historical): Another term for a member of the Sorbonne community.
- University of Paris: The larger university system of which the Sorbonne was a historic part.
- Academy: In a broad sense, a society of learned individuals, similar to the Sorbonne's role as an intellectual center.
While "the Sorbonne" historically referred to a specific college, in modern usage it commonly refers to the successor institutions that occupy its historic buildings in Paris's Latin Quarter and carry on its academic legacy. It is not typically used to refer to a specific, isolated building but to the institution and its heritage.
- a university in Paris; intellectual center of France