elementary school
Americannoun
noun
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a former name for primary school
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Also called (in the US): grade school. grammar school. a state school in which instruction is given for the first six to eight years of a child's education
Etymology
Origin of elementary school
First recorded in 1835–45
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.
Cynthia Kuo, a 29-year-old elementary school teacher, said Trump was the "kind of person who just says whatever pops into his head."
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
A Virginia judge dismissed all criminal charges against a former elementary school assistant principal accused of negligence.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
As an advocate for the local library told me, by the next day, all the children at the local elementary school had heard about Gamble.
From Slate • May 4, 2026
Stress increases cortisol levels, which in turn drives cravings for quick, energy-dense foods — carbs, sugar, the kinds of things that dominate elementary school diets.
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026
In elementary school, we sat by grade, next to whoever our friends were.
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
