Montessori

American

[mon-tuh-sawr-ee, -sohr-ee, mawn-tes-saw-ree] / ˌmɒn təˈsɔr i, -ˈsoʊr i, ˌmɔn tɛsˈsɔ ri /

noun

Maria 1870–1952, Italian educator.

Montessori British

/ montesˈsɔːri, ˌmɒntɪˈsɔːrɪ /

noun

Maria (maˈriːa). 1870–1952, Italian educational reformer, who evolved the Montessori method of teaching children

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On Wednesday, CNN shared body camera footage from the shooting of Marimar Martinez, a Montessori school teacher in Chicago with no criminal record.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026

She was already teaching Montessori and didn’t need the degree or extra loans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

At 27, Lauren O’Connor was living paycheck to paycheck as a Montessori teacher, making $29 an hour with no benefits.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

Their findings show that public Montessori preschool programs serving children ages 3 to 6 deliver stronger early learning outcomes than traditional preschool options, while also reducing costs for school districts and taxpayers.

From Science Daily • Jan. 1, 2026

I started right away at the Montessori nursery school.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023