Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

charter school

American  
[chahr-ter skool] / ˈtʃɑr tər ˌskul /

noun

  • charter schools
    plural
  1. an autonomous public school created by a contract between a sponsor, as a local school district or corporation, and an organizer, as a group of teachers or a community group, often with a curriculum or focus that is not traditional.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of charter school

First recorded in 1800–10; current use dates from 1985–90


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.

See Examples For:

About half of the student body at Da Vinci Communications, the public charter school where Jackson still teaches, is economically disadvantaged, according to U.S.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

He lived in the nearby city of Atlanta and worked for Wesley International Academy, a public charter school, for more than 12 years as an IT manager, technology teacher and robotics coach.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

But watch to see who breathes a word about Success Academy Bronx K-12, a flagship charter school that’s intended as a model for the nation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

She said auditors in Ohio created a “false narrative” about her charter school and her actions, and that she took a plea deal only after being exhausted emotionally and financially by a drawn-out investigation.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

Ma asked this all the time, and I couldn't tell if she really had a hard time keeping up with the grading system of our charter school or if she was just being shady.

From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training