academician or academic?

[Hedonist]

When I said I wanted to become an academician, my English teacher corrected me, and said I should use "academic" instead of "academician". Is it true? She said the word academician does not even exist. But I can find it in the dictionary.

Academician = an educator who works at a college or university.

My English teacher is a native Canadian, and she says the use of academician in the above given sentence is incorrect. Do you agree or disagree?

Thanks,
Enes

[Yankee]

Hi Hedonist

The word 'academician' is basically not used in North America. We use 'academic' instead.

[Hedonist]

However, my teacher is not the only one who told me to not use 'academician'. A british person also told me that such a word does not exist. Well, no one says that it exists, yet still it is in the dictionary. And just because it is not used in North America, the teacher cannot penalise me. I used it in an oral examination practice, and she told me to not use it again in the real exam. Well, I don't see why not? If someone who engages in politics called a politician, then a person who engages in academics can also be called an academician. I don't see the difference. Dictionaries have it, yet if I use it, people say it is incorrect. I wonder in which specific dialect of English it is used.

[Yankee]

That is one of the "dangers" of dictionaries, Hedonist. Dictionaries also include rarely used words, archaic words, etc. Using vocabulary well involves more than simply knowing a definition. It also involves knowing when and how (or when not and how not) to use it. I think your teacher gave you good advice.