residential school

American  

[rez-i-den-shuhl skool, rez-i-den-shuhl skool] / ˌrɛz ɪˈdɛn ʃəl ˌskul, ˈrɛz ɪˌdɛn ʃəl ˈskul /

noun

1. a boarding school, especially one for delinquent or disabled children or youth.

   They recommended placing our daughter in a residential school for troubled teens.

2. (formerly) one of a network of boarding schools in Canada for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students, typically founded and operated by a church or religious order and eventually receiving partial or full funding by the federal government.

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residential school British  

noun

1. (in Canada) a boarding school maintained by the Canadian government for Indian and Inuit children from sparsely populated settlements

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Etymology

Origin of residential school

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

St. Michael’s Residential school remained in operation until 1996.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 11, 2022

Residential school experiences have left many survivors with deep scars, triggering multigenerational trauma.

From Washington Post • Mar. 27, 2022

Residential school is also where Iron started practicing his play-by-play at the outdoor rink.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 16, 2021

Residential school trips can also take place, though there remain limits on the number of children who can share a room or a tent.

From BBC • Aug. 10, 2021