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Synonyms

high school

American  

noun

  • high schools
    plural
  1. a school attended after elementary school or junior high school and usually consisting of grades 9 or 10 through 12.


high school British  

noun

  1. another term for grammar school

  2. a secondary school from grade 7 to grade 12

  3. a secondary school, the grades covered depending on the province

"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

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Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns


Etymology

Origin of high school

First recorded in 1815–25


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Example Sentences

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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

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