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Synonyms

middle school

American  

noun

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

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of middle school

First recorded in 1830–40

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.

Cummins talked Mary Ann into taking the job, and before long, she joined the faculty of a brand-new middle school Cummins co-founded by the name of Crossroads.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

Three-quarters of elementary school teachers, 61% of middle school teachers and 54% of high school teachers surveyed said student behavior is getting worse.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

Some of her middle school students are unafraid to initiate conversations about immigration enforcement, she said, while others keep their feelings to themselves or act out.

From Salon • Mar. 2, 2026

“What we’re seeing in middle school is really just sad because they really don’t want anyone to know that their dad is in hiding,” Jung said.

From Salon • Mar. 2, 2026

“When these two pretended to be lost in the halls of the middle school, only two students dropped everything to offer assistance.”

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.