elementary school

noun

1. the lowest school giving formal instruction, teaching the rudiments of learning, and extending usually from six to eight years.

elementary school

noun

1. a former name for primary school

2. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of elementary school¹

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

In elementary school, Ms. Stolzenberg always kept me from recess at lunch because I wouldn’t shut up in class.

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Originally from New York, Bauer, who taught elementary school in New York City and Los Angeles, says she saved about a third of her most cherished items for herself.

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The funniest moment in Jonathan Spector’s comedy “Eureka Day” is the live chat that goes berserk during an elementary school town hall convened to discuss vaccination policy after a mumps outbreak.

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"As an elementary school teacher, the accused was in a position to protect the victim," said the court's verdict on Monday.

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Sangeun Lee, an elementary school teacher in Korea, told the BBC the book has held a particularly special meaning to her for that reason.

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Related Words

• grade school 
• grammar school