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kindergarten

American  
[kin-der-gahr-tn, -dn] / ˈkɪn dərˌgɑr tn, -dn /

noun

  1. a school or class for young children between the ages of four and six years.

kindergarten British  
/ ˈkɪndəˌɡɑːtən /

noun

  1. Often shortened to (in Australia and New Zealand): kinder.   kindy.   kindie.  a class or small school for young children, usually between the ages of four and six to prepare them for primary 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

Other Word Forms

  • kindergartener noun
  • prekindergarten noun

Etymology

Origin of kindergarten

1850–55; < German: literally, children's garden, equivalent to Kinder children ( kind 2 ) + Garten garden

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.

She praises the Fidesz mayor for rebuilding the roads, the kindergarten, and the sports centre.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Bertino and Dan Gray met in a Queens kindergarten, and became acquainted with Rapanaro and Matt Cicero years later.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The aim is to be bustlingly kinetic, but the feel is pure kindergarten: no logic, just jerky leaps from one gaming situation to the next, with characters and objects taking on whatever powers are needed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

The California rollout of transitional kindergarten, or TK, which has encouraged families to enter the public school system when their child is 4, complicates decision-making.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

I was an almost in kindergarten when I asked if I could use markers at art time, instead of just crayons.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

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.