Definition of the word academic year

The term "academic year" originated in medieval Europe, specifically in the universities of Bologna, Oxford, and Cambridge. These universities adopted a academic calendar based on the liturgical year, with classes beginning in late autumn or early winter and ending during the summer months. This calendar was partially modeled after the ecclesiastical year, as many universities were established in close proximity to churches and monasteries. In Bologna, for example, classes began on All Saints' Day (November 1) and ended around All Saints' Day the following year. The length of the academic year was extended in response to student demands for more time between terms, as well as the need for an extended break during the summer months, when travel was safer due to better weather and less dangerous transportation routes. The term "academic year" was coined in the United Kingdom during the 19th century, as the length and structure of the university calendar started to take a more standardized form. The concept of an academic year spanning two calendar years (from late August or early September to mid-June) came to be widely accepted as the norm in British universities, and similar patterns were adopted by colleges and universities around the world. Thus, the term "academic year" can be traced back to the medieval universities of Bologna, Oxford, and Cambridge, where it was originally meant to describe the temporal span of study that followed the religious calendar. The phrase has since evolved to encompass the more standardized form of the academic year as it is known today.