high school

American  

noun

1. a school attended after elementary school or junior high school and usually consisting of grades 9 or 10 through 12.

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high school British  

noun

1. another term for grammar school

2. a secondary school from grade 7 to grade 12

3. a secondary school, the grades covered depending on the province

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Other Word Forms

• high school adjective
• high schooler noun

Etymology

Origin of high school

First recorded in 1815–25

Compare meaning

How does high-school compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• secondary school vs. high school

Example Sentences

In his senior year of high school, he found bugs in websites belonging to the Dutch government and reported them via a “bug bounty” program that offered hackers prizes for unearthing security flaws.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Nesbitt, who grew up near Rochester, N.Y., worked as a grave digger in high school.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Goldhaber and Mazzei briefly dated in high school in Boulder, where they both grew up.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

The multiple Emmy winner will pick up with a time jump and its characters living as young adults, five years after high school, and things look completely out of control.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

I think she’s one of the honors English teachers at the high school.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Related Words

• secondary school