classroom

[klas-room, -room, klahs-]

noun

1. a room, as in a school or college, in which classes classis are held.

2. any place where one learns or gains experience.

   The sea is the sailor's classroom.

classroom

/ -ˌrʊm, ˈklɑːsˌruːm /

noun

1. a room in which classes are conducted, esp in a school or college

Word History and Origins

Origin of classroom¹

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70; class + room

Example Sentences

Martin Franchi, chief executive of trading platform NinjaTrader, said the finance club at his 16-year-old’s school is so popular that its classroom doesn’t have enough space for all the students who are interested in joining.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Twenty-two states this year enacted laws or policies banning or restricting cellphone use in K-12 classrooms.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Brown, a former UK prime minister, said: "It's also incumbent on us to ensure that Nigerian schools are safe spaces for learning, not spaces where children can be plucked from their classroom for criminal profit."

Read more on BBC

Students would benefit from tech outside the classroom yet still have an incentive to learn because they face old-school, in-class exams.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The catchy phrase and its accompanying dance has gripped classrooms across the UK, much to the bafflement and annoyance of some parents and teachers.

Read more on BBC

When To Use

What does classroom mean?

A classroom is traditionally a room in a school where a class is taught.The word classroom is commonly used to refer to such a room at every level of education, including elementary school, high school, and college.It can also be used in a more general way to refer to any space where students are being taught by a teacher. Some classrooms might not even be in a room—some schools have outdoor classrooms where students are taught outside, for example.The word is sometimes used in a figurative way to refer to the primary place where someone learns and gains experience outside of a formal educational setting, as in My grandfather didn’t have much formal schooling—the farm was his classroom. Example: I try to set up my classroom to be a space that allows each student to learn in their own way.