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

Nearly a quarter of five-to-seven-year-olds now have their own smartphone, and nine out of 10 students own a mobile phone by the time they reach secondary school, according to Ofcom.

From BBC

She waited until they were in secondary school before giving them mobile phones, but questioned how the initiative would work in practice.

From BBC

A secondary school is to host a Ramadan awareness development session to help a city's teachers better support pupils who observe the Islamic month of fasting.

From BBC

They must be unmarried and age 17 or younger, or between ages 18 and 19 if they attend an elementary or secondary school full time, according to the Social Security Administration.

From MarketWatch

Ibtisam Ali, a student at a secondary school that has been converted, says she cannot leave her classroom until the end of the school day because the grounds are full of displaced people.

From BBC

Related Words

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