Montessori

American

[mon-tuh-sawr-ee, -sohr-ee, mawn-tes-saw-ree] / ˌmɒn təˈsɔr i, -ˈsoʊr i, ˌmɔn tɛsˈsɔ ri /

noun

Maria 1870–1952, Italian educator.

Montessori British

/ montesˈsɔːri, ˌmɒntɪˈsɔːrɪ /

noun

Maria (maˈriːa). 1870–1952, Italian educational reformer, who evolved the Montessori method of teaching children

"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.

On Wednesday, CNN shared body camera footage from the shooting of Marimar Martinez, a Montessori school teacher in Chicago with no criminal record.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026

At 27, Lauren O’Connor was living paycheck to paycheck as a Montessori teacher, making $29 an hour with no benefits.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

She was already teaching Montessori and didn’t need the degree or extra loans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

Nearly 600 children were followed across 24 public Montessori programs nationwide.

From Science Daily • Jan. 1, 2026

When within a month two great educators, Maria Montessori and John Dewey, died, the talk was of writing and advanced reading skills and whether they were good for the very young.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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