middle school

American  

noun

1. a school intermediate between elementary school and high school, usually encompassing grades five or six through eight.

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middle school British  

noun

1. (in England and Wales) a school for children aged between 8 or 9 and 12 or 13 Compare first school

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Etymology

Origin of middle school

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

By middle school, I moved to a more advanced acting class at the Pasadena Playhouse.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

Did we mention she’s still in middle school?

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

But Talarico, a former middle school teacher and seminarian, has energized Democrats, who hope that record-setting campaign fundraising could help flip the seat.

From Salon • May 30, 2026

"At elite sports schools, talented students were usually selected and trained from elementary or middle school."

From BBC • May 22, 2026

“Greetings, heroes!” called Mrs. Yunghans, the middle school librarian, who absolutely loved having the most famous library card holders in America checking out books in her library.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• junior high
• secondary school