Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for private school. Search instead for private schedules.
Synonyms

private school

American  

noun

  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.

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

"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 private school

First recorded in 1820–30

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.

Some of those luxuries then become fixed expenses that are hard to unwind — a bigger house, a more expensive car, private school.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

He also graduated from Stanford and now is president of the private school in Salinas, Calif., that he and his son attended.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

Government lawyers had argued that families who wished to opt out of state-funded education were free to send their children to private school or to educate them at home.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

Chloe Peichl, who is 18, is a senior at a small private school in Texas.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2026

Why did she send Belky so much more, to cover tuition at a private school her aunt sent her to?

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

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.