community college

American  

noun

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

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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

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Etymology

Origin of community college

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50

Example Sentences

The contractor also started working with Southern Arkansas University Tech, a two-year community college in Camden, to ramp up apprenticeships, so it could more readily hire people who had never worked at a factory.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Selivra spent part of his childhood in foster care and, as a teenager, was homeless and slept in his car for more than a year before enrolling in community college, he told The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

She persevered and graduated from a high school special education program, then attempted community college.

From Salon • Apr. 29, 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

Jill had recently earned her doctorate in education and had managed to teach English at a community college in Delaware not just through Joe’s years as a senator but also through his two presidential campaigns.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama