Pupil vs Student
Since pupil and student are two words in the English language that are usually considered interchangeable even when they are not so, one should try to understand the difference between pupil and student. There is indeed some difference between the two words, pupil and student, when it comes to their connotations. Pupil has its origin in late Middle English. In the same manner, student also has its origin in late Middle English. Studentship and studenty are two derivatives of the word student. Pupil in this sense does not have any derivatives. Now, let us further examine the difference between pupil and student.
What does Pupil mean?
A pupil is a young person who is under the direct supervision of a teacher and is learning lessons in any given subject. The teacher who directly supervises a pupil can be one from a school. It is interesting to note that the teacher can also be a private tutor. The Oxford English dictionary defines pupil as “a person who is taught by another, especially a schoolchild or student in relation to a teacher.” As a matter of fact, a pupil may be under the direct supervision of a teacher because of being a youth. Sometimes he comes under the close supervision of a teacher due to specialization in a particular branch of study. On the contrary to the word student, the word pupil is not used in a figurative sense.
What does Student mean?
On the other hand, a student is one who is directly enrolled in a school, a college or a university to learn a particular subject under the course of study for a particular period. This is the main difference between a pupil and a student. The difference mentioned above shows that all students are pupils when they come under the supervision of a teacher in the school. Hence, it can be said that the word pupil is the subset of the word student. Moreover, the word student is sometimes used in the figurative sense too by indicating someone who has devoted attention and more time to a particular problem, an art or a sport as in the expression ‘a good student of the game.’
What is the difference between Pupil and Student?
• A pupil is a young person who is under the direct supervision of a teacher and is learning lessons in any given subject. On the other hand, a student is one who is directly enrolled in a school, a college or a university to learn a particular subject under the course of study for a particular period. This is the main difference between a pupil and a student.
• All students are pupils when they come under the supervision of a teacher in the school. Hence, it can be said that the word pupil is the subset of the word student.
• The word student is sometimes used in the figurative sense too by indicating someone who has devoted attention and more time to a particular problem, an art or a sport as in the expression ‘a good student of the game’. On the contrary, the word pupil is not used in a figurative sense.