private school

American  

noun

private schools plural

1. a school founded, conducted, and maintained by a private group rather than by the government, usually charging tuition and often following a particular philosophy, viewpoint, etc.

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private school British  

noun

1. a school under the financial and managerial control of a private body or charitable trust, accepting mostly fee-paying pupils

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• private schools
  plural

Etymology

Origin of private school

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

private school

Now about 30 states have some version of a program that allows families to spend public money on private school tuition.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

For many, private school evokes images of elite academies, manicured campuses and plaid Catholic-school uniforms.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

This number excludes those enrolled in virtual public or private school.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Participating students are thriving, whether they enrolled in a private school, microschool or home school.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

“The setting here is a private school, very privileged,” he says.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Related Words

• parochial school
• preparatory school