community college

American  

noun

1. a nonresidential junior college established to serve a specific community and typically supported in part by local government funds.

---

community college British  

noun

1. another term for village college

2. a nonresidential college offering two-year courses of study

3. an adult education college with trade classes

---

Etymology

Origin of community college

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50

Example Sentences

He did a year of community college, worked as a water-meter reader and met his wife working at Applebee’s before moving to Chicago to do stand-up, then to New York in 2004.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Somewhere between Rue and Cassie on the desperation scale sits Elle Fanning’s Margo Millet, an eager community college student whose money troubles start when she falls for one of the oldest tricks in the book.

From Salon • May 4, 2026

The lieutenant governor also serves on boards that oversee the University of California, California State University and community college systems, and can be called upon to break a tie in the state Senate.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

I spent a year attending community college philosophy classes, and some of the best nights of my life have been spent standing outside a strip-mall GameStop.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Deborah took her placement tests for school and registered for the classes she’d need to get herself up to tenth-grade level and qualify for the community college classes she wanted to take.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot