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.
In Northern Ireland from, 2030, children are set to sit new national tests in reading, maths and science in primary school and year 10.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
A pledge to provide free school breakfasts and meals to every primary school pupil in Scotland is now limited to P1-P5 - with a targeted offering for older pupils based on need.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
"Tilly started at a mainstream primary school but she was struggling," she says.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
It stressed that council officers were "very aware" that communities such as Fountainhall were often "heavily invested" in the long-term viability of their primary school.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
When Shin was born, his older brother was away in primary school for ten hours a day.
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.
