trade school

American  

noun

• trade schools
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• trade schools
  plural

Etymology

Origin of trade school

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trade school

He told ProPublica that he wants to transform lives and guide students to college, trade school or the military.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

Prior to the pandemic, "people weren't really talking about going to trade school, vocational schools, stuff like that. It was like: 'Go to college, get your four years.'"

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

My wife and I started an annual scholarship for high school students in rural North Carolina going into a trade school, and the trade school helped us set it up.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 20, 2026

If it returns a paltry 2% over the next 13 years, that child will graduate high school with $300,000—enough for college, trade school or a down payment on a home.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026

From Mami we hear that our sister is beautifully acclimated to life on the Island and taking classes in shorthand and typing at the Ford Foundation trade school.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez