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

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Etymology

Origin of private school

First recorded in 1820–30

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

private school

Their expansion comes amid tighter market conditions in China and the introduction of VAT on private school fees in Britain from 1 January 2025.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

Evans attended Francis Parker School, an exclusive private school in San Diego, before graduating from MIT with a degree in economics in 2015.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

First, it explained the state’s statutory requirements for opening a private school, things like reporting the school’s name and address.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

Ponysaurus’s owners had agreed to let us use their building and its fire and sanitation inspections, which are required to open a private school in the Tar Heel State.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

Hattie also attends a private school, an “arts and humanities” school that rejects all forms of standardized tests.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

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Related Words

• parochial school
• preparatory school

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