high school

American  

noun

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

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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

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Other Word Forms

• high school adjective
• high schooler noun

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:

• secondary school vs. high school

Example Sentences

I am thankful to have grown up in a bilingual country and to have attended a high school where we studied Molière in French and Shakespeare in English.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Magyar went to an elite Catholic boys' high school near the centre of Budapest before studying law at a Catholic university in Budapest while Orban was serving his first term as prime minister from 1998-2002.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

The multiple Emmy winner will pick up with a time jump and its characters living as young adults, five years after high school, and things look completely out of control.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

The Final Four in men’s and women’s basketball is scheduled for this weekend, and Southern California has two players to root for who were high school graduates from the area.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

“And what am I supposed to do with a high school diploma? It is nothing but a durned piece of paper.”

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• secondary school