primary school
Americannoun
-
primary schools
plural
-
a school usually covering the first three or four years of elementary school and sometimes kindergarten.
noun
-
(in Britain) a school for children below the age of 11. It is usually divided into an infant and a junior section
-
(in the US and Canada) a school equivalent to the first three or four grades of elementary school, sometimes including a kindergarten
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of primary school
First recorded in 1795–1805
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.
With his eldest nearing the end of her time in primary school -- and clandestine courses in their northern city costing more than half his salary -- he sees no option but to leave.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
"My daughter and her classmates were in a very bad mood" on the last day of primary school.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
"Swimming is a life skill, not just a sport, and every child should have the opportunity to leave primary school able to swim and be safe in, on and around water," a spokesperson said.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
She attended a bilingual primary school, Ysgol Baladeulyn, which has just six pupils and faces the threat of closure this year.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
That same year, students in Shin’s class at primary school were required to volunteer to help their parents at work.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
