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community college

American

noun

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

community college British

noun

another term for village college
a nonresidential college offering two-year courses of study
an adult education college with trade classes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of community college

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50

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 governor also proposed a 14-week paid pregnancy disability leave for TK-12 and community college employees starting or enlarging their families.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

She persevered and graduated from a high school special education program, then attempted community college.

From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026

The revenue will also support a budget that provides free community college and invests in housing, she added.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

I spent a year attending community college philosophy classes, and some of the best nights of my life have been spent standing outside a strip-mall GameStop.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Frankie had heard Z wasn’t attending classes at the community college and no one at the other schools where students had enrolled had run into him.

From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023