middle school

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of middle school

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

“I grew up watching my dad play at the park. I was looking for a middle school and we were on the freeway and drove by Ontario Christian.”

From Los Angeles Times

A few years later, I was bused across town to a much worse—and more diverse—middle school.

From The Wall Street Journal

And 70% of those students fell below middle school levels, about 1 in 12 entering students.

From Los Angeles Times

She sued in 2021, when she was 11, because she wanted to join the girls’ track and cross-country teams at her middle school.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Staffordshire and Worcestershire areas both have a number of middle schools, typically serving children aged between nine or 10 and 12 or 13.

From BBC

Related Words

• junior high
• secondary school