high school
Americannoun
-
high schools
plural
noun
-
another term for grammar school
-
a secondary school from grade 7 to grade 12
-
a secondary school, the grades covered depending on the province
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of high school
First recorded in 1815–25
Compare meaning
How does high-school compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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 former brilliantly evokes wistful teenage dreaming as a character walks through their high school, adorned by a yearning Caroline Polachek song and light-pink diary scribblings.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026
In a bittersweet essay, Dolores’ daughter Juanita once recalled how her mother forgot to pick her up from junior high school.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Her Spanish journey began with four years of classes at a suburban Boston high school.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Born in 1948, young Vincent displayed an early passion for track and field at his Arizona high school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Tansy had an arithmetic book, The Western Calculator, from the high school.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
![]()
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.