Agency Dictionary
syllabus
nounPronunciation: /ˈsɪl.ə.bəs/
In Portuguese: currículo
Creativity & LearningWhat does “syllabus” mean?
An academic document outlining the topics, schedule, and required competencies for a specific course of study.
Etymology
From Modern Latin syllabus, which arose in a fifteenth-century edition of Cicero as a misreading of Greek sittybas, the accusative plural of sittyba, "parchment label, table of contents". The mistaken form was then taken for a genuine word of Greek origin, and the spelling stuck. English uses the word for an outline of the subjects and schedule of a course of study.
Usage note
The plural is syllabuses or, in academic usage, syllabi. In American English a syllabus is the document a professor gives at the start of a course.
Synonyms
- outline
- program
Often confused with
- curriculum
- A syllabus outlines a single course; a curriculum covers the whole program of study.
Usage examples
If there is one, should it be forbidden from all syllabi?
Concept
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
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