Académies

Académies is the plural form used in many Romance languages to refer to learned societies or formal institutions dedicated to the promotion of arts, sciences, and letters. The concept dates to Renaissance and early modern Europe, when rulers and scholars founded academies as places for criticism, discussion, and experimentation. The term derives from the ancient Academy of Plato in Athens and became widely used in vernacular languages in the 16th–18th centuries.

National academies often combine several functions: advising governments and public institutions; regulating or promoting standards in language, science, or culture; supporting research through fellowships, prizes, and publications; and organizing lectures, exhibitions, or competitions. Membership is typically by election and limited by discipline or cohort, and governance usually involves a president, council, and various sections.

Notable examples include the Académie française, founded in 1635 to regulate the French language; the Académie des sciences in Paris, focused on science; and various national bodies such as the Real Academia Española in Spain; academies in many countries serve as cultural authorities and scientific societies, sometimes parallel to other English-language bodies like national academies of science or arts. In addition to traditional humanities and sciences, modern academies may oversee music, architecture, or historical preservation and may publish journals, dictionaries, or encyclopedias.

The plural form 'académies' appears in French (académies), Spanish (academias), Portuguese (académias), and other languages, though the exact scope and name of the institutions vary by country.