trade school

American  

noun

1. a high school giving instruction chiefly in the skilled trades.

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trade school British  

noun

1. a school or teaching unit organized by an industry or large company to provide trade training, apprentice education, and similar courses

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Etymology

Origin of trade school

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

More young Americans are turning to trade school to pursue in-demand jobs like plumbing and electrical work but encountering something they didn’t expect: hefty price tags.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

That can include higher education, but also K-12 tuition or trade school.

From Barron's • Dec. 5, 2025

But his productions were like a trade school for New Hollywood.

From New York Times • May 12, 2024

Noah already has been accepted into an architecture program with Glendale Community College and San Diego State University, while Valentina is thinking about a trade school for training as a medical assistant.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2024

In 1951, I finished my trade school courses, and like clockwork, even though I wasn't a US citizen, my US Army draft notice arrived in the mail.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson