community college

American  

noun

• community colleges
  plural

1. a nonresidential junior college established to serve a specific community and typically supported in part by local government funds.

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community college British  

noun

1. another term for village college

2. a nonresidential college offering two-year courses of study

3. an adult education college with trade classes

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• community colleges
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of community college

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

community college

At a community college, where the players change every one or two years, continuity depends on the culture being passed down from one generation to the next.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

Clara: I don’t know that either attempt is catching on so far, but the lure of cash or free community college is surely going to be appealing for some.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

A decade ago, Ray Kerr quit baseball, dropped out of community college and went home.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Often high school graduates with learning needs can “feel too intimidated and overwhelmed to apply for college” and others, including adults, “may be unaware that community college is even an option.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

He does not worry about who will care for his son while he works and his wife attends community college to become a physical therapist.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

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