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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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Etymology

Origin of high school

First recorded in 1815–25

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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.

And early scores are the start of a steady decline in standardized math assessments through high school.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026

As his mother’s grief and legal battles to get Fadi home worsen her mental health, Sattouf’s own life is upended by high school, hormones, heartbreak — and a nagging uncertainty.

From Salon • Jun. 27, 2026

The heatwave forced the closure of thousands of schools, with those open struggling to teach pupils -- or to administer finishing exams for graduating high school seniors -- in sweltering classrooms.

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

He was petrified by how much had to go right for him to excel in high school, college and then decades of working.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

Having all four children obtain both high school and college degrees was a feat that would have made any family proud—Northern or Southern, Colored, White, or anything else.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

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