Can I Audit This Course? Meaning & Usage

Meaning 1：audit a course (Can I audit this course?)

Can I audit this course? 🔊

/kæn aɪ ˈɔːdɪt ðɪs kɔːrs/

phrase

To attend a university class without getting an official grade or credit for it.

Student auditing a course in lecture hall without credit

audit a course 🔊

➕

/ˈɔːdɪt ə kɔːrs/

phrase

To attend a university class without receiving an official grade or credit for it.

📁 Category：School Education 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

audit from Latin 'audire' (to hear) + -it suffix; phrase meaning to attend as a listener.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine 'audio' (hearing) + 'it' – you hear the lecture but don't pay or get graded.

📖 Example

I'm very interested in Professor Lee's lecture on art history, so I asked if I could audit the course this semester. 🔊 I'm very interested in Professor Lee's lecture on art history, so I asked if I could audit the course this semester.

🔗 Collocations

audit a class – To attend a class without credit

audit a lecture – To listen to a lecture without enrolling

audit for free – To attend a course without paying tuition

🔄 Synonyms

sit in on a class (phrase) – To attend a class as a non-participating observer

attend as a listener (phrase) – To be present in a class without active involvement

take a course without credit (phrase) – To enroll in a course but not earn academic credit

🚫 Antonyms

enroll for credit (phrase) – To formally register and receive academic credit

take for a grade (phrase) – To complete a course and receive a letter grade

be a degree-seeking student (phrase) – To study with the goal of obtaining a degree

🌱 Derivatives

auditor (noun) – A person who audits a course

auditory (adjective) – Relating to hearing

audition (noun) – A trial performance to assess ability

📖 Cultural Story

In 19th-century US universities, 'auditing' a course allowed non-enrolled listeners to attend lectures for free, rooted in the Latin 'audire' meaning 'to hear'.