elementary school
Americannoun
noun
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a former name for primary school
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Also called (in the US): grade school. grammar school. a state school in which instruction is given for the first six to eight years of a child's education
Etymology
Origin of elementary school
First recorded in 1835–45
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.
The day after Neukgu's disappearance, authorities received dozens of reported sightings, including some boys who cried wolf: elementary school kids who had mistaken dogs for Neukgu, the Chosun Daily reported.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Even after I entered elementary school, I’d still dart into my room like I was running from a ghost anytime I heard anyone mention “family planning officers.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
He was an exceptional athlete back in elementary school.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Walthart added that as a mother, she was concerned about safety, with a detention facility perched just a five-minute drive from the local elementary school.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
We’d had the same classes all through elementary school, and we always sat next to each other.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
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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.