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Synonyms

finishing school

American  

noun

  1. a private school, usually at the high school or junior college level, that teaches young women social graces and prepares them for life in society.

finishing school British  

noun

  1. a private school for girls that prepares them for society by teaching social graces and accomplishments

"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 finishing school

First recorded in 1830–40

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.

Many survivors treated in childhood or young adulthood are working toward finishing school, launching careers, gaining independence, or starting families.

From Science Daily • Mar. 2, 2026

Soon after finishing school, he started working as a bus conductor.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

She enrolled at Milan’s Istituto Marangoni, a finishing school for Italian fashion royalty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

"I dreamed of finishing school and becoming a doctor," said the eldest of five siblings who, according to the law, should be in school until the age of 16.

From Barron's • Oct. 13, 2025

“Was finishing school so wearisome that you had to run away?” he asked.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

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.