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summer school

American  

noun

summer schools plural
  1. study programs offered by a school, college, or university during the summer to those who wish to obtain their degrees more quickly, who must make up credits, or who wish to supplement their education.

  2. a school offering such programs.


summer school British  

noun

  1. a school, academic course, etc, held during the summer

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of summer school

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

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.

See Examples For:

The state’s schools—once among the U.S.’s worst-performing—have made gains with intensive tutoring, mandatory summer school for struggling pupils and a back-to-basics approach that emphasizes phonics.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 1, 2026

Carla Risoldi had been a summer school student at Gonville & Caius College for six weeks in 1985, but in her haste to make her flight back home, she forgot to return her key.

From BBC Sep. 22, 2025

Mountain rescuers are urging people to ensure they plan their adventures as they brace themselves for an influx of visitors during the summer school holidays.

From BBC Jul. 21, 2025

It was his second day of summer school at UCLA, so he didn’t answer.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 18, 2025

I had to get up at seven because of summer school.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

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