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Synonyms

classroom

American  
[klas-room, -room, klahs-] / ˈklæsˌrum, -ˌrʊm, ˈklɑs- /

noun

  1. a room, as in a school or college, in which classes are held.

  2. any place where one learns or gains experience.

    The sea is the sailor's classroom.


classroom British  
/ -ˌrʊm, ˈklɑːsˌruːm /

noun

  1. a room in which classes are conducted, esp in a school or college

"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

Usage

What does classroom mean? A classroom is traditionally a room in a school where a class is taught. The word classroom is commonly used to refer to such a room at every level of education, including elementary school, high school, and college. It can also be used in a more general way to refer to any space where students are being taught by a teacher. Some classrooms might not even be in a room—some schools have outdoor classrooms where students are taught outside, for example. The word is sometimes used in a figurative way to refer to the primary place where someone learns and gains experience outside of a formal educational setting, as in My grandfather didn’t have much formal schooling—the farm was his classroom. Example: I try to set up my classroom to be a space that allows each student to learn in their own way.

Etymology

Origin of classroom

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70; class + room

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.

A documentary about the class, Classroom 4, directed by her childhood friend Eden Wurmfeld, is now streaming on PBS.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

Classroom technology use has been a stressor for India Brookover of Granada Hills, whose daughter will be entering transitional kindergarten, or TK, next year and whose screen time in preschool has been near zero.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

Classroom teachers were paid an average of £43,100 in the 2023/24 school year in England and £47,340 in Wales.

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2025

The two worked together at Hildebrandt’s counseling company, ConneXions Classroom, offering parenting seminars, launching another YouTube channel and publishing content on their shared Instagram account, “Moms of Truth.”

From Seattle Times • Dec. 27, 2023

We worked with the Collaborative Classroom and had this huge Ramadan project.

From "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea

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