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Synonyms

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.


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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

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.

See Examples For:

That interest started when he was in middle school.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 11, 2026

In middle school, she joined a youth league and spent her Saturdays at the same lanes.

From Salon Jul. 3, 2026

Audiences, including the middle school social studies students, deserve better and more nuanced stories about this country and the values it was built upon.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 2, 2026

After B.P.J.’s middle school relied on this law to block her from playing sports, B.P.J. sued under civil rights law Title IX and the 14th Amendment.

From Slate Jun. 30, 2026

Now I won’t have to worry about taking any more tests to get into a good middle school.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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