secondary school

American  

noun

1. a high school or a school of corresponding grade, ranking between a primary school and a college or university.

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secondary school British  

noun

1. a school for young people, usually between the ages of 11 and 18

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Other Word Forms

• secondary-school adjective

Etymology

Origin of secondary school

First recorded in 1825–35

Compare meaning

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

• secondary school vs. high school

Example Sentences

Helena is looking at an old photo on her phone of nine teenage girls smiling at the camera on their last day of secondary school.

From BBC

She is a nine-week-old puppy who has been introduced at a Lincolnshire secondary school to help tackle growing concerns about teenagers' mental health.

From BBC

McGonigal knew she wanted to pursue acting in secondary school, and attended the Brit School at sixth form, a performing and creative arts institution.

From BBC

"I went to my school here, my local primary school, my local secondary school. I love this community - I still love this community and I still have family here."

From BBC

Then I began secondary school and, as my world grew bigger, I guess Bubbe’s grew smaller.

From Literature

Related Words

• high school
• junior high school
• middle school
• prep school
• preparatory school
• senior high school