Academia

Posted by GPP on August 22, 2003

In Reply to: Academia posted by Neo on August 22, 2003

: When a college student "emerges from academia", what does it mean? What is an academia?

Not 'an academia'. A general noun, not taking an article ('a', 'an', 'the'). From the word 'academy'; and meaning, roughly, the generality of colleges or universities; thus, the student has completed his/her formal studies. The phrase as quoted by you is very artificial and self-conscious, and would only be used by a stuffed-shirt academic.