curriculum
noun
also curriculums
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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 curricula vitae.
Examples of curriculum in a Sentence
Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2025
Part of your curriculum involved studying jazz music.
—Andrew Casillas, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2025
New school curricula devoted significant attention to portraying the partisans as an inspiration to young Poles.
—Ronald R. Krebs, Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025
Many universities offer courses with outdated curriculum taught by professors that don’t have an incentive to evolve their class materials or teaching practices.
—Sergei Revzin and Vadim Revzin, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for curriculum 
Dictionary Entries Near curriculum
Cite this Entry
“Curriculum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curriculum. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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curriculum
noun
also curriculums
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