kindergarten
Americannoun
-
kindergartens
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of kindergarten
1850–55; < German: literally, children's garden, equivalent to Kinder children ( see kind 2) + Garten garden
Explanation
Kindergarten is where children are introduced to school; it's where five year old children learn all about their ABC's and choice time. Kindergarten comes from the German words Kinder ("children") and Garten ("garden"). A garden of children is a lovely and poetic image for a classroom full of antsy kids trying their hardest to master basic skills and ideas through creative and interactive lessons. But perhaps that is just how they were seen by the 19th-century German educator Friedrich Fröbel, who is credited with inventing kindergarten, his "method of developing intelligence in young children."
Vocabulary lists containing kindergarten
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Words Derived from German
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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.
See Examples For:
“In kindergarten, 32,” albeit with two teachers to a room.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
A quarter century later, Amundson, now a 39-year-old travel agent and former kindergarten teacher, received a call from her 13-year-old neighbor.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
When Kathryn Truman’s son Sawyer enrolled in kindergarten, she was surprised to discover his school only gave him 20 minutes of recess a day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
In Elektrostal, an empty kindergarten was also hit, without any casualties, added Vorobyov.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
When you can do it secretly, go in and change the seating chart in the kindergarten classroom.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The state’s measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccinations among kindergartens fell nearly 10% over 13 years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Authorities also waived fees for public kindergartens beginning last fall.
From Barron's ● Jan. 19, 2026
Essential to the modern apateu are the amenities — such as on-site kindergartens or convenience stores — that allow them to function like miniature towns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2025
Meanwhile, Russia's state media reported that regional schools and kindergartens would be closed on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2024
Their son’s application to several kindergartens met with quick rejections, unaccompanied by explanations.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
