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

About $1,200 of her total went toward uniforms for her daughter’s private school, where single shirts and jackets from designated vendors can cost $50 to $70 each.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

My parents couldn’t afford private school, so I took the admissions test for Stuyvesant, one of the city’s finest public high schools.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 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

She knew he’d gone to that fancy private school and that he lived in Brooklyn, because he never stopped complaining about it.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Related Words

• parochial school
• preparatory school