middle school

American  

noun

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

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of middle school

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

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

Growing up in south Florida, André started taking piano lessons when he was 5, and played tuba in middle school and cello in high school.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Gorden has a fiance who is helping with parenting and her son Caiden, now in middle school, has grown into a sweet, empathetic boy.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

Like me, he was at Iqra until middle school.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Related Words

• junior high
• secondary school