What does curricular mean?
Curricular is an adjective meaning relating to a curriculum — the structured program of study offered by a school, college, university, or training institution. It is used chiefly in formal educational settings to describe anything that belongs to the official course of instruction rather than to peripheral activity: curricular standards, curricular reforms, curricular requirements, and cross-curricular skills such as literacy or critical thinking that span multiple subjects. The word carries a professional, administrative connotation and appears mostly in academic policy documents, accreditation reviews, and discussions among teachers and administrators; in casual conversation, people tend to phrase ideas as 'part of the curriculum' instead. Its opposite in spirit is 'extracurricular', which covers pursuits outside the formal syllabus, such as athletics and clubs. Traced back to Latin currere, meaning 'to run', it preserves the old image of a course of study as a racecourse to be completed.
adjectiveRelating to or connected with a curriculum, especially the courses of study offered by a school, college, or other educational institution.
- Of or relating to a curriculum: the planned program of courses, subjects, and learning experiences offered by an educational institution.
"The committee proposed several curricular reforms aimed at strengthening the science program."
"Faculty spent the summer reviewing the school's curricular offerings in mathematics."
"Accreditation bodies often evaluate both curricular content and student outcomes."
Despite sounding like modern education-speak, 'curricular' descends from a Latin word that literally meant a running track — a race course your mind runs each term.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of curricular
Curricular derives from Latin currere, meaning 'to run', through the noun curriculum, which originally denoted a racecourse or running track. The educational sense of curriculum emerged in English around the early 17th century, likening a program of study to a course to be run, and the adjective curricular was later formed directly from it. The same Latin root gives English words such as current and corridor, all sharing the idea of movement or passage along a path.
Related word forms
How curricular is actually used
A formal term used almost exclusively in educational contexts — policy documents, accreditation reports, and academic administration. In everyday speech, speakers more often say 'part of the curriculum' than 'curricular', making the adjective a marker of institutional or professional register. It is most frequently encountered in compounds like 'curricular standards' and 'cross-curricular'.
Easily confused with curricular
'Curricular' describes things belonging to the formal course of study itself, while 'extracurricular' describes activities outside it, such as sports and clubs.
'Currish' means having the qualities of an ill-tempered dog (surly, churlish), whereas 'curricular' is a neutral educational term with no connection to dogs.