primary school
Americannoun
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a school usually covering the first three or four years of elementary school and sometimes kindergarten.
noun
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(in Britain) a school for children below the age of 11. It is usually divided into an infant and a junior section
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(in the US and Canada) a school equivalent to the first three or four grades of elementary school, sometimes including a kindergarten
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.
Sebastian Muñoz-Najar has only just finished primary school.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
A couple of decades later, the city builds a primary school next door.
From Salon • May 9, 2026
For most of his childhood, growing up as the only Sikh kid at his primary school in Los Angeles, that bracelet stayed hidden.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
"An average primary school with 50% take-up will receive nearly £30,000 a year – around 18 times more than the previous National School Breakfast Programme," a spokesperson said.
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
“Well, that was in primary school, a long time ago— How did you know?”
From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang
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.
