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comprehensive school

American  
comprehensive school British  

noun

  1. a secondary school for children of all abilities from the same district

  2. another name for composite school

"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 comprehensive school

First recorded in 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.

Reynolds attended a comprehensive school and Manchester University before embarking on a legal career, although he never completed his solicitor training.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2025

Grange Hill was a series that aired on the BBC from 1978 to 2008 and storied life in a London comprehensive school.

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2024

One school was a mixed grammar school in a predominantly white, middle-class rural area and another was a mixed comprehensive school in a predominantly white, working-class urban area.

From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2024

He promised six months ago that he would quickly deliver a comprehensive school safety plan, but he said there’s good reason for the extended timeline.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2023

Coming generations, so long as time lasts, will owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Ryerson, as the only real founder of a comprehensive school system in Ontario.

From The Story of My Life Being Reminiscences of Sixty Years' Public Service in Canada by Hodgins, J. George (John George)

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