classroom

American  

[klas-room, -room, klahs-] / ˈklæsˌrum, -ˌrʊm, ˈklɑs- /

noun

• classrooms
  plural

1. a room, as in a school or college, in which classes are held.

2. any place where one learns or gains experience.

   The sea is the sailor's classroom.

---

classroom British  

/ ˈklɑːsˌruːm, -ˌrʊm /

noun

1. a room in which classes are conducted, esp in a school or college

---

Usage

What does classroom mean? A classroom is traditionally a room in a school where a class is taught. The word classroom is commonly used to refer to such a room at every level of education, including elementary school, high school, and college. It can also be used in a more general way to refer to any space where students are being taught by a teacher. Some classrooms might not even be in a room—some schools have outdoor classrooms where students are taught outside, for example. The word is sometimes used in a figurative way to refer to the primary place where someone learns and gains experience outside of a formal educational setting, as in My grandfather didn’t have much formal schooling—the farm was his classroom. Example: I try to set up my classroom to be a space that allows each student to learn in their own way.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• classrooms
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of classroom

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70; class + room

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

classroom classrooms

The findings highlight the value of helping children build essential reading skills through consistent support, both in the classroom and at home.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026

Education Minister Edouard Geffray told the France Inter radio station students should return to the classroom to avoid failing exams.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

Christopher Jackson was sitting in his empty classroom one day last spring when he heard a frantic pounding on the door.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

Drury said what happened in the classroom was "unimaginable".

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Well, I guess I got so droopy and forlorn looking, Mama decided she wanted to see exactly what was going on in Ms. Myers’s classroom.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

PUF contributed $66 million for a new building on its Fort Worth campus that features classrooms and lab space for its healthcare and teacher education programs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Some nod to what’s happening in America, such as when Carrie discovers the school library and gravitates straight to books that have been banned from classrooms and community libraries across the country.

From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026

Arey would work to implement campus safety plans, support additional academic advising and career education and more closely “examine spending, contracts, program outcomes and administrative costs to ensure resources reach classrooms and directly support students.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

In classrooms like Jackson’s, it’s evolved into a frontline defense against predatory debt and generational wealth gaps.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

Here are a few instruments typically found in classrooms, or that can be purchased inexpensively at a music store or online.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---