preparatory school
Americannoun
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a private or parochial secondary school, especially one boarding its students and providing a college-preparatory education.
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British. a private elementary school, especially one preparing its students for public school.
noun
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(in Britain) a private school, usually single-sex and for children between the ages of 6 and 13, generally preparing pupils for public school
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(in the US) a private secondary school preparing pupils for college
Etymology
Origin of preparatory school
First recorded in 1815–25
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.
He played soccer and went to Bishop Denis J. O’Connell High School, a Catholic preparatory school in Arlington.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
But when Paul Andrew Perez, the head of drama at an American college preparatory school, died suddenly, the last thing his students wanted to do was put on a show.
From BBC • Aug. 7, 2025
After graduating from the Loomis preparatory school in Windsor, Conn., Mr. Lowenstein studied international relations at Yale College, receiving a bachelor’s degree in 1949.
From Washington Post • Jan. 11, 2023
Cheverus High School, a Jesuit college preparatory school in Portland, was the only religious school to apply for participation in the state’s tuition reimbursement plan and its application was approved by the state.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 22, 2022
“I am sure you have heard of Hackett, the preparatory school for boys,” he said.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
