berkeley
berkeley Lexical Profile
• noun
American The University of California, Berkeley, a prestigious public land-grant research university located in California.
"She received her doctorate in theoretical physics from Berkeley."
American A city in Northern California, United States, situated on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay, renowned as a historic center for progressive politics and academia.
George Berkeley, an 18th-century Anglo-Irish philosopher known for his advancement of immaterialism, asserting that physical objects do not exist independently of the mind.
"The professor dedicated the introductory lecture to exploring Berkeley and his bold empiricist arguments."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to the philosopher or locations in the UK, it is typically pronounced 'BARK-lee'; when referring to the American city or university, it is pronounced 'BURK-lee'.
• Rhymes for berkeley
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Old English 'beorce' (birch) and 'lēah' (clearing or wood), originally an English place name. The California city was named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkeley.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.