school year

American  

noun

school years plural

1. the months of the year during which school is open and attendance at school is required.

2. academic year.

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school year British  

noun

1. a twelve-month period, (in Britain) usually starting in late summer and continuing for three terms until the following summer, during which pupils remain in the same class

2. the time during this period when the school is open

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• school years
  plural

Etymology

Origin of school year

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

school year

At the Los Angeles Unified School District high school where I teach, this exact type of “adjustment” is happening for the 2026-2027 school year because of declining enrollment.

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026

On its website, however, Crystal River still is providing information on the Step Up scholarship for parents while inviting students to enroll for next school year.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

Prior to the 2025-2026 school year, it cleaned eight campuses, leaving 11 more, including Muir and Blair high schools, to be cleaned.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026

Experts say a shorter break would help children maintain a sense of structure that would make it easier to continue learning once the new school year starts.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Things went from bad to worse at the beginning of the school year because my brother and sister were both in high school and I was stuck in that yawning chasm of nothingness, middle school.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen