night school

American

noun

a school held in the evening, especially for working adults and others who are unable to attend school during the day.

night school British

noun

an educational institution that holds classes in the evening for those who are not free during the day

"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 night school

First recorded in 1520–30

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:

night school

Many are also beginners at education: Most had to be enrolled in the "first grade", said Silmang Pierre Ndior, an official at the Soeur Marie Luc Vaderloge literacy centre where they attend night school.

From Barron's ● Feb. 6, 2026

Both, said the colleague, “really liked the night school crowd over the prep school crowd.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026

The eminent lawyer, whose grandfather created the UK's first Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, persuaded the teenager to go to night school, join a church and renounce alcohol.

From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2023

I work full time and am trying to go to night school.

From Slate ● Dec. 22, 2022

"The more you learn the more you want to know. You ought to think about night school for yourself," said Spoon.

From "The Contender" by Robert Lipsyte

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