middle school

American  

noun

middle schools plural

1. a school intermediate between elementary school and high school, usually encompassing grades five or six through eight.

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middle school British  

noun

1. (in England and Wales) a school for children aged between 8 or 9 and 12 or 13 Compare first school

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• middle schools
  plural

Etymology

Origin of middle school

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

When I walked into the arcade, I experienced a feeling I’d stuffed down into my subconscious for decades: the stultifying awkwardness of a middle school dance.

From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026

The 37-year-old former Presbyterian seminarian and middle school teacher is aiming to become the first Texas Democrat to win a Senate seat in three decades.

From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026

He credits his mom with seeding his interest in investing: She helped him buy $300 in Apple shares when he was in middle school, working at the lingerie store that she owned in a mall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

But Talarico, a former middle school teacher and seminarian, has energized Democrats, who hope that record-setting campaign fundraising could help flip the seat.

From Salon • May 30, 2026

Throughout elementary school and middle school, getting older, hair getting longer, sometimes in a ponytail and sometimes in loose curls.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

Related Words

• junior high
• secondary school