Course — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈkȯrs/

Meaning & Definition of Course

Course (noun)

  1. the act or action of moving in a path from point to point
  2. the path over which something moves or extends
  3. racecourse

Course (verb)

  1. to follow close upon, pursue
  2. to hunt or pursue (game) with hounds
  3. to cause (dogs) to run (as after game)

Course (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a way of acting or proceeding

    "the president's usual course has been to obtain advice from several people and then make up his own mind"

    similar: line, methodology, policy, procedure, program
    related: blueprint, design, plan, scheme, strategy, intent, intention, purpose, approach, direction, method, path, pathway, tack

  2. a series of lectures on a subject

    "a course on American history from the colonial period to the present"

    similar: class, course of study
    related: elective, refresher, clinic, institute, seminar, survey course, minicourse, core, curriculum

  3. a usually fixed or ordered series of actions or events leading to a result

    "set out on the course that would lead to a college degree"

    similar: operation, procedure, proceeding, process
    related: drill, routine, fashion, form, manner, method, mode, style, system, technique, way, approach, arrangement, blueprint, design, formula, game plan, ground plan, layout, plan, plot, program, project, recipe, scheme, strategy, accomplishment, achievement, attainment, enterprise, performance, undertaking, work, activity, functioning, movement

  4. the direction along which something or someone moves

    "the river follows a southeasterly course to the ocean"

    similar: line, path, pathway, route, routeway (chiefly British), steps, track, way
    related: circle, circuit, loop, orbit, arc, flight path, trajectory, ascent, descent

  5. an open man-made passageway for water

    "the Erie Canal was replaced by a much larger course, the New York State Barge Canal"

    similar: aqueduct, canal, channel, conduit, flume, racecourse, raceway, watercourse, waterway
    related: millrace, millstream, floodway, sluice, sluiceway, spillway, swash, tideway, torrent, gutter, trough, river, rivulet, stream

Course (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to go after or on the track of

    "after coursing the conspirators for months, the federal agents closed in and made the arrests"

    similar: bird-dog, chase, dog, follow, hound, pursue, run, shadow, tag, tail, trace, track, trail, run after
    related: accompany, chaperone, escort, hunt, search (for), seek, eye, observe, watch
    opposite: guide, lead, pilot
    near: head

  2. to make one's way through, across, or over

    "once the threat of terrorism became apparent, fighter jets began coursing that corridor on a daily basis"

    similar: cover, cross, cut (across), follow, go, navigate, pass (over), perambulate, peregrinate, proceed (along), track, transit, travel, traverse
    related: hike, traipse, tramp, tread, walk, ride, run, crisscross

  3. to proceed or move quickly

    "racehorses coursing down the track"

    similar: barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bomb (slang), bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurry, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoom, beat it, get a move on, make tracks, shake a leg, step on it
    related: beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle, stampede, streak, whiz, gallop, jog, sprint, accelerate, quicken, step out, catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake, arrow, beeline
    opposite: crawl, creep, poke
    near: dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry, amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up)

Related Entry: Course of study (phrase)

Course of study is a different word from Course. The synonyms below are for course of study, not for course.

  1. a series of lectures on a subject

    "He finally found a course of study he was interested in."

    similar: class, course
    related: elective, refresher, clinic, institute, seminar, survey course, minicourse, core, curriculum

Related Entry: Matter of course (phrase)

Matter of course is a different word from Course. The synonyms below are for matter of course, not for course.

  1. a condition or occurrence traceable to a cause

    "Once the apprentice finishes training, a license to practice is granted as a matter of course."

    similar: aftereffect, aftermath, backwash, child, conclusion, consequence, corollary, development, effect, fate, fruit, issue, outcome, outgrowth, precipitate, product, result, resultant, sequel, sequence, upshot
    related: ramification, denouement, echo, implication, repercussion, afterclap, afterglow, aftershock, blowback, by-product, fallout, offshoot, ripple, side effect, spin-off
    opposite: antecedent, causation, cause, occasion, reason
    near: consideration, determinant, factor, base, basis, foundation, ground, groundwork, impetus, incentive, inspiration, instigation, stimulus, mother, origin, root, source, spring

Related Entry: Of course (phrase)

Of course is a different word from Course. The synonyms below are for of course, not for course.

  1. according to the usual course of things

    "Of course it will all come together, like always."

    similar: commonly, generally, natch (slang), naturally, normally, ordinarily, typically, usually, as a rule, needless to say, on the whole
    related: customarily, habitually, regularly, routinely, familiarly, conventionally, traditionally
    opposite: abnormally, atypically, extraordinarily, uncommonly, untypically, unusually
    near: funnily, oddly, peculiarly, queerly, strangely, weirdly, anomalously, irregularly, radically

Related Entry: Par for the course (phrase)

Par for the course is a different word from Course. The synonyms below are for par for the course, not for course.

  1. being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events

    "Employee turnover is par for the course here thanks to poor upper management."

    similar: average, common, commonplace, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, standard-issue, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday
    related: regular, typical, unextraordinary, familiar, homely, plain, plain-Jane, popular, vulgar, natural, customary, wonted, insignificant, trivial, unimportant, frequent, habitual, expected, predictable
    opposite: abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, odd, out-of-the-way, strange, unusual
    near: curious, funny, peculiar, quaint, queer, aberrant, anomalous, atypical, irregular, untypical, rare, recherché, scarce, fantastic, phenomenal, bizarre, far-out, Kafkaesque, outrageous, outré, wacky, way-out, weird, wild, eccentric, idiosyncratic, kooky, nonconformist, oddball, offbeat, unconventional, unorthodox, freak, freakish, conspicuous, notable, novel, outstanding, prominent, salient, signal, striking, unexampled, unprecedented, singular, unique, unparalleled

Related Entry: Survey course (noun)

Survey course is a different word from Course. The synonyms below are for survey course, not for course.

  1. as in clinic, institute

    similar: clinic, institute, seminar, elective, refresher, minicourse, class, course, core, curriculum

Related Entry: Matters of course (phrase)

Matters of course is a different word from Course. The synonyms below are for matters of course, not for course.

  1. a condition or occurrence traceable to a cause

    "Once the apprentice finishes training, a license to practice is granted as a matter of course."

    similar: aftereffects, aftermaths, backwashes, children, conclusions, consequences, corollaries, developments, effects, fates, fruits, issues, outcomes, outgrowths, precipitates, products, resultants, results, sequels, sequences, upshots
    related: ramifications, denouements, echoes, implications, repercussions, afterclaps, afterglows, aftershocks, blowbacks, by-products, fallouts, offshoots, ripples, side effects, spin-offs
    opposite: antecedents, causations, causes, occasions, reasons
    near: considerations, determinants, factors, bases, foundations, grounds, groundworks, impetuses, incentives, inspirations, instigations, stimuli, mothers, origins, roots, sources, springs

Related Entry: Gut (noun)

Gut is a different word from Course. The synonyms below are for gut, not for course.

  1. the internal organs of the body

    "the student dissected the frog and looked at its guts with a mixture of fascination and disgust"

    similar: entrails, innards, inside(s), inwards, viscera, vitals
    related: bowel(s), intestine(s), chitterlings, giblet(s), variety meat

  2. strength of mind to carry on in spite of danger

    "it took a lot of guts to rush into that burning building and save her cat"

    similar: bottle (British slang), bravery, courage, courageousness, daring, daringness, dauntlessness, doughtiness, fearlessness, gallantry, greatheartedness, gutsiness, hardihood, heart, heroism, intestinal fortitude, intrepidity, intrepidness, moxie, nerve, pecker (chiefly British), prowess, stoutness, valor, virtue
    related: backbone, fiber, fortitude, grit, gumption, mettle, pluck, pluckiness, spunk, temper, determination, perseverance, resolution, endurance, stamina, stomach, tenacity, audacity, boldness, brazenness, cheek, cojones (slang), effrontery, gall, temerity
    opposite: cowardice, cowardliness, cravenness, dastardliness, poltroonery, spinelessness
    near: cold feet, faintheartedness, fearfulness, mousiness, timidity, timorousness, feebleness, softness, weakness, impotence, ineffectualness, hesitation, indecision, indecisiveness, irresolution

  3. the strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship

    "had the guts to keep running the race even though she felt like quitting"

    similar: backbone, constancy, fiber, fortitude, grit, grittiness, intestinal fortitude, pluck, spunk
    related: determination, purposefulness, resoluteness, resolution, bravery, courage, courageousness, daring, dauntlessness, doughtiness, fearlessness, gallantry, greatheartedness, intrepidity, intrepidness, nerve, stoutness, valor, endurance, forbearance, stamina, sufferance, tolerance, heart, mettle, spirit, audacity, boldness, brass, cheek, chutzpah, effrontery, gall, hardihood, nerviness, temerity
    opposite: spinelessness
    near: indecisiveness, irresoluteness, irresolution, vacillation, cowardice, cowardliness, cravenness, dastardliness, faintheartedness, pusillanimity, timidity, timorousness

  4. the part of the body between the chest and the pelvis

    "eating too many french fries will result in a substantial gut"

    similar: abdomen, belly, breadbasket (slang), solar plexus, stomach, tummy
    related: middle, midriff, waist, paunch, potbelly, thorax

  5. an enlarged or bulging abdomen

    "an ever-expanding gut was sorry evidence that she had been neglecting her workouts"

    similar: bay window, beer belly, belly, corporation, paunch, pot, potbelly
    related: breadbasket (slang), stomach, tummy, chubbiness, corpulence, fat, fatness, fleshiness, obesity, overweight, paunchiness, plumpness, portliness, pudginess, chunkiness, heaviness, stoutness

  6. the seat of one's deepest thoughts and emotions

    "the film packs an emotional wallop that the viewer will feel in his gut"

    similar: belly, blood, bone(s), bosom, breast, core, heart, heartstrings, inner space, inside, quick, soul
    related: conscience, mind

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Course

The most common words with a similar meaning to Course:

Chiefly British: routeway
Slang: bomb
line, methodology, policy, procedure, program, class, operation, proceeding, process, path, pathway, route, steps, track, way, aqueduct, canal, channel, conduit, flume, racecourse, raceway, watercourse, waterway, course of study, bird-dog, chase, dog, follow, hound, pursue, run, shadow, tag, tail, trace, trail, cover, cross, cut (across)

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Course

Words with the opposite meaning of Course:

guide, lead, pilot, crawl, creep, poke

Related Words for Course

blueprint, design, plan, scheme, strategy, intent, intention, purpose, approach, direction, method, tack, elective, refresher, clinic, institute, seminar, survey course, minicourse, core, curriculum, drill, routine, fashion, form, manner, mode, style, system, technique

Near Antonyms of Course

head, dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, tarry, amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up)

Word Forms of Course

Inflections: coursed, coursing

Origin & Etymology of Course

Middle English cours, borrowed from Anglo-French cours, curs, going back to Latin cursus "action of running, charge, movement along a path, progress," from currere "to run, flow" + -tus, suffix of verbal action current:1

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Course

Words & Phrases Containing Course

course of study, course load, course of action, course of events, collision course, correspondence course, crash course, golf course

Frequently Asked Questions about Course

What does "Course" mean?

"Course" means the act or action of moving in a path from point to point. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the act or action of moving in a path from point to point. It has 8 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Course"?

Other words for "Course" include line, methodology, policy, procedure, program, class, operation and proceeding. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Course" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Course"?

There are 218 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Course". Common alternatives include line, methodology, policy, procedure, program, class, operation, proceeding, process and path.

What is the opposite of "Course"?

Antonyms of "Course" include guide, lead, pilot, crawl, creep and poke. Near antonyms include head, dally, dawdle and dillydally.

How do you use "Course" in a sentence?

Examples of "Course" in a sentence: "the president's usual course has been to obtain advice from several people and then make up his own mind"; "a course on American history from the colonial period to the present"; "set out on the course that would lead to a college degree".

Is "Course" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Course" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Course" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Course" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Course"?

"Course" is pronounced /ˈkȯrs/.