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key stage

British

noun

education any one of four broad age-group divisions (5–7; 7–11; 11–14; 14–16) to which each level of the National Curriculum applies

"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

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.

Participants had a median age of 20 years, placing the focus squarely on young adults during a key stage of habit formation.

From Science Daily • Jan. 16, 2026

The union has also warned doctors are struggling to find jobs at a key stage of their training – between years two and three when they start speciality training.

From BBC • Nov. 13, 2025

Waste is a key stage in global food systems and one that also has a significant ecological impact.

From Salon • Aug. 5, 2024

Not everyone who applies is accepted; the State Department noted that about 50% of applicants do not qualify when their applications are reviewed at a key stage early in the process.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 1, 2023

The group argues lowering the voting age would engage teenagers in the political process at a key stage in their lives.

From Reuters • Mar. 3, 2015

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023