1
: an organization that provides instruction: such as
a
: an institution for the teaching of children
b
c(1)
: a group of scholars and teachers pursuing knowledge together that with similar groups constituted a medieval university
(2)
: one of the four faculties of a medieval university
(3)
: an institution for specialized higher education often associated with a university
the school of engineering
d
: an establishment offering specialized instruction
a secretarial school
driving schools
2
a(1)
: the process of teaching or learning especially at a school
(2)
: attendance at a school
(3)
: a session of a school
b
: a school building
c
: the students attending a school
also
: its teachers and students
3
: a source of knowledge
experience was his school
4
a
: a group of persons who hold a common doctrine or follow the same teacher (as in philosophy, theology, or medicine)
the Aristotelian school
also
: the doctrine or practice of such a group
b
: a group of artists under a common influence
c
: a group of persons of similar opinions or behavior
also
: the shared opinions or behavior of such a group
other schools of thought
5
: the regulations governing military drill of individuals or units
also
: the exercises carried out
the school of the soldier
schooled; schooling; schools
1
a
: to teach or drill in a specific knowledge or skill
well schooled in languages
b
: to discipline or habituate to something
school oneself in patience
2
: to educate in an institution of learning
The child was schooled at great cost to her family.
: a large number of fish or aquatic animals of one kind swimming together
schooled; schooling; schools
: to swim or feed in a school
bluefish are schooling
Synonyms
Examples of school in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ben Morse, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Other schools aren't able to sort through the data.
—Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
The agency said dozens of its schools and its Gaza headquarters have been struck by the Israeli military.
—Tom Soufi Burridge, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Roughly a third of schools have a school climate advocate.
—Gail Cornwall, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
Evers signed the bill at an elementary school in Wausau, a Wisconsin town where Hmong residents make up 12% of the population and Asian American students comprise 29.7% of the school’s student body.
—Sakshi Venkatraman, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Nearby schools include Starside Elementary School, Lexington Trails Middle School and De Soto High School.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
But the picture for pediatric oral health is improving – even outside of school programs.
—Michael Casey, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
While Christianity is still at the core of the school’s mission, its programs have since expanded to include the sciences, fine arts, nursing and business.
—Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 24 Mar. 2024
Claire Boobbyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Apr. 2024
Unlike so many talented teenage tennis players who get home schooled at a young age and then turn pro as teenagers, Collins opted to play college tennis at the University of Florida and University of Virginia for four years before turning pro.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2024
He was schooled in acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and also, less formally, in New York theaters.
—Matt Twomey, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Smaller reds, however, often school up in the backcountry shallows, providing some of the best sight-fishing opportunities of the year.
—Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 14 Mar. 2024
The league fines schools $100,000 for the first offense of fans storming the field or court, $250,000 for the second and $500,000 for subsequent offenses.
—Staff Report, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024
Her ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman takes the girls to school several days a week, and Kotb strives to pick them up every day as work allows.
—Charlotte Triggs, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024
This past season, Sorensen was often seen at practice schooling up the defensive backs, specifically the nickel backs.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024
Born in North Carolina, raised in Virginia, schooled in Ohio, and after traveling to England, Nixon first started playing music in Denver in a punk band known as Zebra 123.
—Craig Rosen, Variety, 8 Feb. 2024
Noun
The Wolfpack’s appearance at this stage of March Madness is its first since 1998 and only the second in the school’s history.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Other schools aren't able to sort through the data.
—Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
The agency said dozens of its schools and its Gaza headquarters have been struck by the Israeli military.
—Tom Soufi Burridge, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Roughly a third of schools have a school climate advocate.
—Gail Cornwall, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
Evers signed the bill at an elementary school in Wausau, a Wisconsin town where Hmong residents make up 12% of the population and Asian American students comprise 29.7% of the school’s student body.
—Sakshi Venkatraman, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Nearby schools include Starside Elementary School, Lexington Trails Middle School and De Soto High School.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
But the picture for pediatric oral health is improving – even outside of school programs.
—Michael Casey, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
While Christianity is still at the core of the school’s mission, its programs have since expanded to include the sciences, fine arts, nursing and business.
—Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 24 Mar. 2024
Verb
The rooms—pared back and minimalist—with an outsized portrait of each child newly schooled—will be joined by 24 more plus a six-meter-long pool by the end of the year.
—Claire Boobbyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Apr. 2024
Unlike so many talented teenage tennis players who get home schooled at a young age and then turn pro as teenagers, Collins opted to play college tennis at the University of Florida and University of Virginia for four years before turning pro.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2024
He was schooled in acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and also, less formally, in New York theaters.
—Matt Twomey, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Smaller reds, however, often school up in the backcountry shallows, providing some of the best sight-fishing opportunities of the year.
—Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 14 Mar. 2024
The league fines schools $100,000 for the first offense of fans storming the field or court, $250,000 for the second and $500,000 for subsequent offenses.
—Staff Report, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024
Her ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman takes the girls to school several days a week, and Kotb strives to pick them up every day as work allows.
—Charlotte Triggs, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024
This past season, Sorensen was often seen at practice schooling up the defensive backs, specifically the nickel backs.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024
Born in North Carolina, raised in Virginia, schooled in Ohio, and after traveling to England, Nixon first started playing music in Denver in a punk band known as Zebra 123.
—Craig Rosen, Variety, 8 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'school.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English scole, from Old English scōl, from Latin schola, from Greek scholē leisure, discussion, lecture, school; perhaps akin to Greek echein to hold — more at scheme entry 1
Noun (2)
Middle English scole, from Middle Dutch schole; akin to Old English scolu multitude and probably to Old English scylian to separate — more at skill entry 1
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (1)
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun (2)
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
1597, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of school was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing school
Dictionary Entries Near school
Cite this Entry
“School.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/school. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
school
1 of 3 noun1
a
: a place or establishment for teaching and learning
public schools
a music school
b
: a faculty or division within an institution for higher education devoted to teaching, study, and research in a particular area of knowledge : college
school of law
graduate school
2
a
: a session of school
missed school yesterday
b
c
: the students or students and teachers of a school
the whole school was at the assembly
3
: a group of persons having the same opinions and beliefs or accepting the same methods or leaders
also
: the shared opinions, beliefs, or methods of such a group
school
2 of 3 verb1
: to teach or drill in a specific skill or area of knowledge
well schooled in languages
2
: to discipline or make used to something
school oneself in patience
school
3 of 3 noun
: a large number of water-dwelling animals of one kind (as fish) swimming together
Etymology
Noun
Old English scōl "a place for learning," from Latin schola (same meaning), from Greek scholē "leisure, discussion, lecture, school"
Word Origin
The English word school comes from the Greek scholē. The original meaning of scholē was "leisure." To the Greeks it seemed natural that one's leisure should be spent learning and thinking. Scholē therefore came to mean not only "leisure" but also "a place for learning." Many Greeks were later employed by the Romans as teachers, and the Romans borrowed the Greek word as schola. The Latin word schola in time came into Old English as scōl.
More from Merriam-Webster on school
Nglish: Translation of school for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of school for Arabic Speakers
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