Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for primary school. Search instead for Primary+School.
Synonyms

primary school

American  

noun

  1. a school usually covering the first three or four years of elementary school and sometimes kindergarten.

  2. elementary school.


primary school British  

noun

  1. (in Britain) a school for children below the age of 11. It is usually divided into an infant and a junior section

  2. (in the US and Canada) a school equivalent to the first three or four grades of elementary school, sometimes including a kindergarten

"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 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

She said: "A great teacher I had at primary school read many Dartmoor tales to us and one I always remember is the Hairy Hands."

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

He also met a group of primary school pupils taking part in potting in the foundation's Growing Together, Cooking Together programme.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

It was a primary school before the war.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "primary school" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com