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Synonyms

elementary school

American  

noun

  1. the lowest school giving formal instruction, teaching the rudiments of learning, and extending usually from six to eight years.

elementary school British  

noun

  1. a former name for primary school

  2. Also called (in the US): grade school.   grammar school.  a state school in which instruction is given for the first six to eight years of a child's education

"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

Etymology

Origin of elementary school

First recorded in 1835–45

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.

Elementary school friends Olivia Wasilewski and Brynna Siewers got their game, Ship of Treasures, licensed and later sold in Target after winning an award at the fair in 2016.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

He’s attended Torrance Elementary school since first grade, according to Villanueva, the PTA volunteer.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2025

“Counterpoint: Elementary school is not supposed to be like World War II.”

From New York Times • Mar. 29, 2023

The boy's bag was searched, but no weapon was found, Richneck Elementary school superintendent George Parker told parents.

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2023

Elementary school goes through sixth grade here, so this is our first year in middle school, and even though we’re already halfway through the school year, I still haven’t figured out the point of homeroom.

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden

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.