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

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

All of this led to a clear reporting question: If the hurdles to open a private school are so low, could we do it?

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

Reporters from The Assembly and ProPublica scanned a state of North Carolina website that details how to file a notice of intent to open a private school.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

At Shenandoah University, administrators a few years ago began asking students about ways to improve recruitment and retention at the 150-year-old private school in northern Virginia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

Mr. Bonger is an insurance broker with enough money to send seven children to private school.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Related Words

• parochial school
• preparatory school