What does the word school mean

A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsory.^[2] In these systems, students progress through a series of schools. The names for these schools vary by country (discussed in the Regional terms section below) but generally include primary school for young children and secondary school for teenagers who have completed primary education. An institution where higher education is taught is commonly called a university college or university.

In addition to these core schools, students in a given country may also attend schools before and after primary (elementary in the U.S.) and secondary (middle school in the U.S.) education.^[3] Kindergarten or preschool provide some schooling to very young children (typically ages 3–5). University, vocational school, college or seminary may be available after secondary school. A school may be dedicated to one particular field, such as a school of economics or dance. Alternative schools may provide nontraditional curriculum and methods.

Non-government schools, also known as private schools,^[4] may be required when the government does not supply adequate or specific educational needs. Other private schools can also be religious, such as Christian schools, gurukula (Hindu schools), madrasa (Arabic schools), hawzas (Shi’i Muslim schools), yeshivas (Jewish schools), and others; or schools that have a higher standard of education or seek to foster other personal achievements. Schools for adults include institutions of corporate training, military education and training and business schools.

Critics of school often accuse the school system of failing to adequately prepare students for their future lives,^[5] of encouraging certain temperaments while inhibiting others,^[6] of prescribing students exactly what to do, how, when, where and with whom, which would suppress creativity,^[7] and of using extrinsic measures such as grades and homework, which would inhibit children’s natural curiosity and desire to learn.^[8]

In homeschooling and distance education, teaching and learning take place independent from the institution of school or in a virtual school outside a traditional school building, respectively. Schools are organized in several different organizational models, including departmental, small learning communities, academies, integrated, and schools-within-a-school.

Etymology

The word school derives from Greek σχολή (scholē), originally meaning «leisure» and also «that in which leisure is employed», but later «a group to whom lectures were given, school».^[9][10][11]

History and development

The concept of grouping students together in a centralized location for learning has existed since Classical antiquity. Formal schools have existed at least since ancient Greece (see Academy), ancient Rome (see Education in Ancient Rome) ancient India (see Gurukul), and ancient China (see History of education in China). The Byzantine Empire had an established schooling system beginning at the primary level. According to Traditions and Encounters, the founding of the primary education system began in 425 AD and «… military personnel usually had at least a primary education …». The sometimes efficient and often large government of the Empire meant that educated citizens were a must. Although Byzantium lost much of the grandeur of Roman culture and extravagance in the process of surviving, the Empire emphasized efficiency in its war manuals. The Byzantine education system continued until the empire’s collapse in 1453 AD.^[12]

In Western Europe, a considerable number of cathedral schools were founded during the Early Middle Ages in order to teach future clergy and administrators, with the oldest still existing, and continuously operated, cathedral schools being The King’s School, Canterbury (established 597 CE), King’s School, Rochester (established 604 CE), St Peter’s School, York (established 627 CE) and Thetford Grammar School (established 631 CE). Beginning in the 5th century CE, monastic schools were also established throughout Western Europe, teaching religious and secular subjects.

In Europe, universities emerged during the 12th century; here, scholasticism was an important tool, and the academicians were called schoolmen. During the Middle Ages and much of the Early Modern period, the main purpose of schools (as opposed to universities) was to teach the Latin language. This led to the term grammar school, which in the United States informally refers to a primary school, but in the United Kingdom means a school that selects entrants based on ability or aptitude. The school curriculum has gradually broadened to include literacy in the vernacular language and technical, artistic, scientific, and practical subjects.

Obligatory school attendance became common in parts of Europe during the 18th century. In Denmark-Norway, this was introduced as early as in 1739–1741, the primary end being to increase the literacy of the almue, i.e., the «regular people».^[13] Many of the earlier public schools in the United States and elsewhere were one-room schools where a single teacher taught seven grades of boys and girls in the same classroom. Beginning in the 1920s, one-room schools were consolidated into multiple classroom facilities with transportation increasingly provided by kid hacks and school buses.

Islam was another culture that developed a school system in the modern sense of the word. Emphasis was put on knowledge, which required a systematic way of teaching and spreading knowledge and purpose-built structures. At first, mosques combined religious performance and learning activities. However, by the 9th century, the madrassa was introduced, a school that was built independently from the mosque, such as al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 CE. They were also the first to make the Madrassa system a public domain under Caliph’s control.

Under the Ottomans, the towns of Bursa and Edirne became the main centers of learning. The Ottoman system of Külliye, a building complex containing a mosque, a hospital, madrassa, and public kitchen and dining areas, revolutionized the education system, making learning accessible to a broader public through its free meals, health care, and sometimes free accommodation.

Regional terms

The term school varies by country, as do the names of the various levels of education within the country.

United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations

In the United Kingdom, the term school refers primarily to pre-university institutions, and these can, for the most part, be divided into pre-schools or nursery schools, primary schools (sometimes further divided into infant school and junior school), and secondary schools. Various types of secondary schools in England and Wales include grammar schools, comprehensives, secondary moderns, and city academies. While they may have different names in Scotland, there is only one type of secondary school. However, they may be funded either by the state or independently funded. Scotland’s school performance is monitored by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education. Ofsted reports on performance in England and Estyn reports on performance in Wales.

In the United Kingdom, most schools are publicly funded and known as state schools or maintained schools in which tuition is provided for free. There are also private schools or private schools that charge fees. Some of the most selective and expensive private schools are known as public schools, a usage that can be confusing to speakers of North American English. In North American usage, a public school is publicly funded or run.

In much of the Commonwealth of Nations, including Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania, the term school refers primarily to pre-university institutions.

India

In ancient India, schools were in the form of Gurukuls. Gurukuls were traditional Hindu residential learning schools, typically the teacher’s house or a monastery. Schools today are commonly known by the Sanskrit terms Vidyashram, Vidyalayam, Vidya Mandir, Vidya Bhavan in India.^[14][15] In southern languages, it is known as Pallikoodam or PaadaSaalai. During the Mughal rule, Madrasahs were introduced in India to educate the children of Muslim parents. British records show that indigenous education was widespread in the 18th century, with a school for every temple, mosque, or village in most regions. The subjects taught included Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Theology, Law, Astronomy, Metaphysics, Ethics, Medical Science, and Religion.

Under British rule, Christian missionaries from England, the United States, and other countries established missionary and boarding schools in India. Later as these schools gained popularity, more were started, and some gained prestige. These schools marked the beginning of modern schooling in India. The syllabus and calendar they followed became the benchmark for schools in modern India. Today most schools follow the missionary school model for tutoring, subject/syllabus, and governance, with minor changes.

Schools in India range from large campuses with thousands of students and hefty fees to schools where children are taught under a tree with a small / no campus and are free of cost. There are various boards of schools in India, namely Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), Madrasa Boards of various states, Matriculation Boards of various states, State Boards of various boards, Anglo Indian Board, among others. Today’s typical syllabus includes Language(s), Mathematics, Science – Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, History, General Knowledge, and Information Technology/Computer Science. Extracurricular activities include physical education/sports and cultural activities like music, choreography, painting, and theatre/drama.

Europe

In much of continental Europe, the term school usually applies to primary education, with primary schools that last between four and nine years, depending on the country. It also applies to secondary education, with secondary schools often divided between Gymnasiums and vocational schools, which again, depending on country and type of school, educate students for between three and six years. In Germany, students graduating from Grundschule are not allowed to progress into a vocational school directly. Instead, they are supposed to proceed to one of Germany’s general education schools such as Gesamtschule, Hauptschule, Realschule or Gymnasium. When they leave that school, which usually happens at age 15–19, they may proceed to a vocational school. The term school is rarely used for tertiary education, except for some upper or high schools (German: Hochschule), which describe colleges and universities.

In Eastern Europe modern schools (after World War II), of both primary and secondary educations, often are combined. In contrast, secondary education might be split into accomplished or not. The schools are classified as middle schools of general education. For the technical purposes, they include «degrees» of the education they provide out of three available: the first – primary, the second – unaccomplished secondary, and the third – accomplished secondary. Usually, the first two degrees of education (eight years) are always included. In contrast, the last one (two years) permits the students to pursue vocational or specialized educations.

North America and the United States

In North America, the term school can refer to any educational institution at any level and covers all of the following: preschool (for toddlers), kindergarten, elementary school, middle school (also called intermediate school or junior high school, depending on specific age groups and geographic region), high school (or in some cases senior high school), college, university, and graduate school.

In the United States, school performance through high school is monitored by each state’s department of education. Charter schools are publicly funded elementary or secondary schools that have been freed from some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools. The terms grammar school and grade school are sometimes^[why?] used to refer to a primary school. In addition, there are tax-funded magnet schools which offer different programs and instruction not available in traditional schools.

Africa

In West Africa, «school» can also refer to «bush» schools, Quranic schools, or apprenticeships. These schools include formal and informal learning.

Bush schools are training camps that pass down cultural skills, traditions, and knowledge to their students. Bush schools are semi-similar to traditional western schools because they are separated from the larger community. These schools are located in forests outside of the towns and villages, and the space used is solely for these schools. Once the students have arrived in the forest, they cannot leave until their training is complete. Visitors are prohibited from these areas.^[16]

Instead of being separated by age, Bush schools are separated by gender. Women and girls cannot enter the boys’ bush school territory and vice versa. Boys receive training in cultural crafts, fighting, hunting, and community laws among other subjects.^[17] Girls are trained in their own version of the boys’ bush school. They practice domestic affairs such as cooking, childcare, and being a good wife. Their training is focused on how to be a proper woman by societal standards.

Qur’anic schools are the principal way of teaching the Quran and knowledge of the Islamic faith. These schools also fostered literacy and writing during the time of colonization. Today, the emphasis is on the different levels of reading, memorizing, and reciting the Quran. Attending a Qur’anic school is how children become recognized members of the Islamic faith. Children often attend state schools and a Qur’anic school.

In Mozambique, specifically, there are two kinds of Qur’anic schools. They are the tariqa based and the Wahhabi-based schools. What makes these schools different is who controls them. Tariqa schools are controlled at the local level. In contrast, the Wahhabi are controlled by the Islamic Council.^[18] Within the Qur’anic school system, there are levels of education. They range from a basic level of understanding, called chuo and kioni in local languages, to the most advanced, which is called ilimu.^[19]

In Nigeria, the term school broadly covers daycares, nursery schools, primary schools, secondary schools and tertiary institutions. Primary and secondary schools are either privately funded by religious institutions and corporate organisations or government-funded. Government-funded schools are commonly referred to as public schools. Students spend six years in primary school, three years in junior secondary school, and three years in senior secondary school. The first nine years of formal schooling is compulsory under the Universal Basic Education Program (UBEC).^[20] Tertiary institutions include public and private universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. Universities can be funded by the federal government, state governments, religious institutions, or individuals and organisations.

Ownership and operation

Many schools are owned or funded by states. Private schools operate independently from the government. Private schools usually rely on fees from families whose children attend the school for funding; however, sometimes such schools also receive government support (for example, through School vouchers). Many private schools are affiliated with a particular religion; these are known as parochial schools.

Components of most schools

Schools are organized spaces purposed for teaching and learning. The classrooms where teachers teach and students learn are of central importance. Classrooms may be specialized for certain subjects, such as laboratory classrooms for science education and workshops for industrial arts education.

Typical schools have many other rooms and areas, which may include:

• Cafeteria (Commons), dining hall or canteen where students eat lunch and often breakfast and snacks.
• Athletic field, playground, gym, or track place where students participating in sports or physical education practice
• Schoolyards, all-purpose playfields typically in elementary schools, often made of concrete.
• Auditorium or hall where student theatrical and musical productions can be staged and where all-school events such as assemblies are held
• Office where the administrative work of the school is done
• Library where students ask librarians reference questions, check out books and magazines, and often use computers
• Computer labs where computer-based work is done and the internet accessed
• Cultural activities where the students uphold their cultural practice through activities like games, dance, and music

Education facilities in low-income countries

In low-income countries, only 32% of primary, 43% of lower secondary and 52% of upper secondary schools have access to electricity.^[21] This affects access to the internet, which is just 37% in upper secondary schools in low-income countries, as compared to 59% in those in middle-income countries and 93% in those in high-income countries.^[21]

Access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene is also far from universal. Among upper secondary schools, only 53% in low-income countries and 84% in middle-income countries have access to basic drinking water. Access to water and sanitation is universal in high-income countries.^[21]

Security

The safety of staff and students is increasingly becoming an issue for school communities, an issue most schools are addressing through improved security. Some have also taken measures such as installing metal detectors or video surveillance. Others have even taken measures such as having the children swipe identification cards as they board the school bus. These plans have included door numbering to aid public safety response for some schools.^{[clarification needed]}

Other security concerns faced by schools include bomb threats, gangs, and vandalism.^[22] In recognition of these threats, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 advocates for upgrading education facilities to provide a safe, non-violent learning environment.^[23]

Health services

School health services are services from medical, teaching and other professionals applied in or out of school to improve the health and well-being of children and, in some cases, whole families. These services have been developed in different ways around the globe. However, the fundamentals are constant: the early detection, correction, prevention, or amelioration of disease, disability, and abuse from which school-aged children can suffer.

Online schools and classes

Some schools offer remote access to their classes over the internet. Online schools also can provide support to traditional schools, as in the case of the School Net Namibia. Some online classes also provide experience in a class. When people take them, they have already been introduced to the subject and know what to expect. Classes provide high school/college credit, allowing students to take the classes at their own pace. Many online classes cost money to take, but some are offered free.

Internet-based distance learning programs are offered widely through many universities. Instructors teach through online activities and assignments. Online classes are taught the same as in-person, with the same curriculum. The instructor offers the syllabus with their fixed requirements like any other class. Students can virtually turn their assignments in to their instructors according to deadlines. This being through via email or on the course webpage. This allows students to work at their own pace yet meet the correct deadlines. Students taking an online class have more flexibility in their schedules to take their classes at a time that works best.

Conflicts with taking an online class may include not being face to face with the instructor when learning or being in an environment with other students. Online classes can also make understanding the content challenging, especially when unable to get in quick contact with the instructor. Online students have the advantage of using other online sources with assignments or exams for that specific class. Online classes also have the advantage of students not needing to leave their house for a morning class or worrying about their attendance for that class. Students can work at their own pace to learn and achieve within that curriculum.^[24]

The convenience of learning at home has been an attraction point for enrolling online. Students can attend class anywhere a computer can go – at home, in a library, or while traveling internationally. Online school classes are designed to fit a student’s needs while allowing students to continue working and tending to their other obligations.^[25] Online school education is divided into three subcategories: Online Elementary School, Online Middle School, Online High school.

Stress

As a profession, teaching has levels of work-related stress (WRS)^[26] that are among the highest of any profession in some countries, such as the United Kingdom and the United States.^[27] The degree of this problem is becoming increasingly recognized and support systems are being put into place.^[28][29]

Stress sometimes affects students more severely than teachers, up to the point where the students are prescribed stress medication. This stress is claimed to be related to standardized testing, and the pressure on students to score above average.^[30][31]

According to a 2008 mental health study by the Associated Press and mtvU,^[32] eight in 10 U.S. college students said they had sometimes or frequently experienced stress in their daily lives. This was an increase of 20% from a survey five years previously. Thirty-four percent had felt depressed at some point in the past three months, 13 percent had been diagnosed with a mental health condition such as an anxiety disorder or depression, and 9 percent had seriously considered suicide.^[32]

Discipline towards students

Schools and their teachers have always been under pressure – for instance, pressure to cover the curriculum, perform well compared to other schools, and avoid the stigma of being «soft» or «spoiling» toward students. Forms of discipline, such as control over when students may speak, and normalized behaviour, such as raising a hand to speak, are imposed in the name of greater efficiency. Practitioners of critical pedagogy maintain that such disciplinary measures have no positive effect on student learning. Indeed, some argue that disciplinary practices detract from learning, saying that they undermine students’ dignity and sense of self-worth – the latter occupying a more primary role in students’ hierarchy of needs.

See also

References

Further reading

• Dodge, B. (1962). Muslim Education in the Medieval Times, The Middle East Institute, Washington D.C.
• Education as Enforcement: The Militarization and Corporatization of Schools, edited by Kenneth J. Saltman and David A. Gabbard, RoutledgeFalmer 2003. Review.
• Makdisi, G. (1980). On the origin and development of the college in Islam and the West, in Islam and the Medieval West, ed. Khalil I. Semaan, State University of New York Press.
• Nakosteen, M. (1964). History of Islamic origins of Western Education AD 800–1350, University of Colorado Press, Boulder.
• Ribera, J. (1928). Disertaciones Y Opusculos, 2 vols., Madrid.
• Spielhofer, Thomas, Tom Benton, Sandie Schagen. «A study of the effects of school size and single-sex education in English schools.» Research Papers in Education, June 2004:133 159, 27.
• Toppo, Greg. «High-tech school security is on the rise.» USA Today, 9 October 2006.
• Traditions and Encounters, by Jerry H. Bentley and Herb F. Ziegler.

Sources

 This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO. Text taken from #CommitToEducation​, 35, UNESCO, UNESCO. UNESCO. To learn how to add open license text to Wikipedia articles, please see this how-to page. For information on reusing text from Wikipedia, please see the terms of use.

External links

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I’ve been in show business for 50, no, 60 years. I was approached in school to join a variety act.

Kenny Baker

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD SCHOOL

Old English scōl, from Latin schola school, from Greek skholē leisure spent in the pursuit of knowledge.

PRONUNCIATION OF SCHOOL

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF SCHOOL

School is a verb and can also act as a noun.

WHAT DOES SCHOOL MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definition of school in the English dictionary

The first definition of school in the dictionary is an institution or building at which children and young people usually under 19 receive education. Other definition of school is any educational institution or building. School is also a faculty, institution, or department specializing in a particular subject.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO SCHOOL

PRESENT

PAST

FUTURE

CONDITIONAL

IMPERATIVE

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH SCHOOL

SYNONYMS OF «SCHOOL»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «school» and belong to the same grammatical category.

TRANSLATION OF SCHOOL

Find out the translation of school to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «SCHOOL»

The term «school» is very widely used and occupies the 637 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of school

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «SCHOOL» OVER TIME

10 QUOTES WITH «SCHOOL»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word school.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «SCHOOL»

Discover the use of school in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to school and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «SCHOOL»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term school is used in the context of the following news items.

REFERENCE

« EDUCALINGO. School [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/school>. Apr 2023 ».

Moreover, the Italian school was not strictly a national ˜school,™ but rather a working style and a methodology, principally based in Italy, but with representatives to be found elsewhere in the world. ❋ Mancosu, Paolo (2009)

«If it’s school or jail, I’ll go to _school_!» he said. ❋ Amy Brooks (N/A)

The objection to school surgery should be clearly before us, so that we can judge of the two methods that are open to us, — _treatment at school_ vs. _treatment away from school_. ❋ William H. Allen (N/A)

There had for some time been a form of school connected with the royal court, known as the _palace school_, though the study of letters had played but a small part in it. ❋ Ellwood Patterson Cubberley (1904)

Prussia, when a parent refuses, without satisfactory excuse, to send his child to school the time required by law, he is cited before the court, tried, and, if he refuses compliance, the child is taken from him and sent to _school_, and the father to _prison_. ❋ Ira Mayhew (1854)

High school graduation Should i double up ap stat with ap calculus in my senior year at high school~ ❋ Unknown (2009)

The first page is my @home list, followed by @out and @work; during the school semester there is an @school tucked in there as well. ❋ Unknown (2008)

Since a ‘madrasa’ is a school no double ’s’ please – ‘ma’ denoting a place and ‘darasa’ meaning ’study’, literally ‘ a place where one studies’ – one should have expected trouble when a Fox entity says someone attended a ’school’ school. ❋ Unknown (2007)

The Smothers House, after the Cook school was removed in 1858, was occupied for two years by a _free Catholic school_, supported by «The ❋ George Washington Williams (N/A)

When the Beckhams looked at Heath Mount, the $5,000 a term school in Hertfordshire proposed for Brooklyn, they were shown around by the headmaster, the Reverend Harry Matthews. ❋ Andrew Morton (2007)

The term ‘school phobia,’ which emphasizes the anxiety features of the disorder, was coined in 1941, but over time the British term ‘school refusal’ has taken hold on both sides of the Atlantic. ❋ Michael Kesterton (2011)

Q school is short for qualifying school, which is used as the annual qualifying tournaments for the PGA tour and LPGA tour. ❋ Nina Mandell (2010)

They need to learn that hard work in school is a ticket upward. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Thus the only really feasible argument on behalf of teaching poetry in school is the one Selinger advances here — «as part of the national patrimony, with the assumption that elementary students should know their Whitman and Dickinson, Hayden and Hughes, because these are our great national poets.» ❋ Unknown (2009)

Also, apparently, one of the things they’re talking about right now in school is family, and they were talking about «family words.» ❋ Lyda222 (2009)

My 8 year old granddaughter informed me this evening that Seth, in school, is in love with her. ❋ Unknown (2010)

«[what’s wrong]»
«I can’t [move] [my butt]»
«Oh, must be school» ❋ Odochi (2006)

Student 1: [I hate school]!!
Student 2: Agreed
Teacher: *hears conversation*
Teacher: You both have [detention] for [2 weeks]!
Students: WTF! ❋ The Knife Ninja (2012)

‘Am I actually going to use fucking [square roots] [when I’m] [23] and have a job?’
Thanks School! ❋ /giva Fuck About You (2007)

Student: Mr. Smith, when was the last time you needed to know the [population density] of Finland?
Teacher: IF YOU DON’T LEARN THIS POINTLESS SHIT EVEN MOST [FINNS] PROBABLY DON’T KNOW, YOU’LL NEVER GO ON TO A REALLY EXPENSIVE SCHOOL TO IMPRESS ANOTHER PROFESSOR, AND THEN GET A PIECE OF PAPER TO IMPRESS ANOTHER BEAUROCRAT!
Student:… Fuck this, I’m going to go carve wood.
Teacher: GET BACK HERE! DETENTION!
10 years later: …He attributes his massive success to [skipping school] so he could practice woodcarving, which when coupled with his love of music led him to carve [flutes]. Now 26, Mr. Student is doing what he loves and living within his means. What a shame the rest of us are brainwashed fucks. This is Anchorman, [XYA] News.
——
I am always ready to learn, I am never ready to go to school.
——
Eric, damn it, you failed your chemistry test! You’ll die of lung cancer now!
… But Dad, I want to be a poet…
SHUT UP, ERIC! You’re going to fail at life and never get married or have kids or do anything because YOU FAILED HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY!
Dad, do you remember any of your high school chemistry?
Yeah, I remember all of it and it’s what’s helped me get this bullshit cubicle job. Now go [get on your bike] and go to school. ❋ Eric Greenfeld (2006)

[my house] had a school like [atmosphere].school makes me [depressed] ❋ Silent-suicide (2006)

[Mom can] i [stay home] from school today? my ass is still sore from [english class] yesterday ❋ Smokey (2003)

At school…
Teacher: Ok kids, I give you permission to talk once you have finished your [assignment].
Student: *Finishes work and starts [to yak]*
Teacher: HEY, YOU! I told you not to talk until you’ve finished your work! What are you stupid, son?
Student: But I’m finished my work sir…
Teacher: [Well then] stop talking!
(IDIOT) ❋ Alozaps (2006)

[What the f]*** is wrong with people that [send] their kids to [scholl]? ❋ Lieutenant Tarpit (2004)

School is [stress], High school is [amplified] stress..
[Let’s not] even TALK about college.. ❋ Uhhnonymous (2009)

The only thing school teaches [kids] is [that life] is [messed up]! ❋ Idk410 (2008)

English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• enPR: sko͞ol, IPA^(key): /skuːl/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /skuːɫ/

• Audio (Received Pronunciation)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːl

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle English scole, from Old English scōl (“place of education”), from Proto-West Germanic *skōlā, from Late Latin schola, scola (“learned discussion or dissertation, lecture, school”), from Ancient Greek σχολεῖον (skholeîon), from σχολή (skholḗ, “spare time, leisure”), from Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ- (“to hold, have, possess”). Doublet of schola and shul.

Compare Old Frisian skūle, schūle (“school”) (West Frisian skoalle, Saterland Frisian Skoule), Dutch school (“school”), German Low German School (“school”), Old High German scuola (“school”), German Schule (“school”), Bavarian Schui (“school”), Old Norse skóli (“school”).

Influenced in some senses by Middle English schole (“group of persons, host, company”), from Middle Dutch scole (“multitude, troop, band”). See school₁. Related also to Old High German sigi (German Sieg, “victory”), Old English siġe, sigor (“victory”).

Alternative forms[edit]

• schole (obsolete)

Noun[edit]

school (countable and uncountable, plural schools)

1. (Canada, US) An institution dedicated to teaching and learning; an educational institution.

   Our children attend a public school in our neighborhood.

   Harvard University is a famous American postsecondary school.

   Synonyms: academy, college, university

2. (Britain) An educational institution providing primary and secondary education, prior to tertiary education (college or university).

   • 2013 July 19, Mark Tran, “Denied an education by war”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 1:

     One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools […] as children, teachers or school buildings become the targets of attacks. Parents fear sending their children to school. Girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence.

3. (UK) At Eton College, a period or session of teaching.

   Divinity, history and geography are studied for two schools per week.

4. Within a larger educational institution, an organizational unit, such as a department or institute, which is dedicated to a specific subject area.

   We are enrolled in the same university, but I attend the School of Economics and my brother is in the School of Music.

   Synonyms: college, department, faculty, institute

5. An art movement, a community of artists.

   The Barbizon school of painters were part of an art movement towards Realism in art, which arose in the context of the dominant Romantic movement of the time.

6. (considered collectively) The followers of a particular doctrine; a particular way of thinking or particular doctrine; a school of thought.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 3, in The China Governess‎^[1]:

     Here the stripped panelling was warmly gold and the pictures, mostly of the English school, were mellow and gentle in the afternoon light.

   These economists belong to the monetarist school.

   • 1660, Jeremy Taylor, The Worthy Communicant; or a Discourse of the Nature, Effects, and Blessings consequent to the worthy receiving of the Lords Supper

     Let no man be less confident in his faith […] by reason of any difference of judgment , which is in the several schools of Christians.

7. The time during which classes are attended or in session in an educational institution.

   I’ll see you after school.

8. The room or hall in English universities where the examinations for degrees and honours are held.
9. The canons, precepts, or body of opinion or practice, sanctioned by the authority of a particular class or age.

   He was a gentleman of the old school.

   • 1883, Arthur Sherburne Hardy, But Yet a Woman

     His face pale but striking, though not handsome after the schools.

10. An establishment offering specialized instruction, as for driving, cooking, typing, coding, etc.

Hyponyms[edit]

• See also Thesaurus:school

Coordinate terms[edit]

• (institution providing primary and secondary education): nursery school, kindergarten, college, polytechnic, university

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

school (third-person singular simple present schools, present participle schooling, simple past and past participle schooled)

1. (transitive) To educate, teach, or train (often, but not necessarily, in a school).

   Many future prime ministers were schooled in Eton.

2. (transitive) To defeat emphatically, to teach an opponent a harsh lesson.

   • 1998 April 13, Leigh Jones, “National Bar Exam Methods Win in ADA Regulation Test”, in The Journal Record:

     A blind law graduate who put the National Conference of Bar Examiners to the test got schooled in federal court.

   • 2006, Steve Smith, Forever Red: Confessions of a Cornhusker Football Fan, page 67:

     Two weeks later, the Cornhuskers put on their road whites again and promptly got schooled by miserable Iowa State in Ames. After the shocking loss […]

   • 2007, Peter David; Alvin Sargent, Spider-Man 3, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 216:

     «You again?» Sandman demanded. «I guess you didn’t learn your lesson.»
     «This time I’m gonna school you.»

   • 2022 March 31, David Yaffe-Bellany, “Ben McKenzie Would Like a Word With the Crypto Bros”, in The New York Times‎^[2], →ISSN:

     Mr. Harris said he was confident he could go toe to toe with any skeptic; he bragged that he’d recently schooled some crypto haters from Vice News.

3. (transitive) To control, or compose, one’s expression.

   She took care to school her expression, not giving away any of her feelings.

Derived terms[edit]

• schooling

Translations[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle English scole, schole (“group of persons, multitude, host, school of fish”), from Middle Dutch scole (“multitude, troop of people, swarm of animals”), from Old Dutch *scola, *skola (“troop, multitude”), from Frankish *skolu, from Proto-Germanic *skulō (“crowd”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kʷel- (“crowd, people”).

Cognate with Middle Low German schōle (“multitude, troop”), Old English scolu (“troop or band of people, host, multitude, school of fish”). Doublet of shoal.

Alternative forms[edit]

• skull (obsolete)

Noun[edit]

school (plural schools)

2. (collective) A group of fish or a group of marine mammals such as porpoises, dolphins, or whales.

   The divers encountered a huge school of mackerel.

   Synonym: shoal

3. A multitude.

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

school (third-person singular simple present schools, present participle schooling, simple past and past participle schooled)

1. (intransitive, of fish) To form into, or travel in, a school.

Further reading[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

• cholos

Dutch[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /sxoːl/
• Hyphenation: school
• Rhymes: -oːl

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle Dutch schôle, from Latin schola, from Ancient Greek σχολή (skholḗ).

Noun[edit]

school f (plural scholen, diminutive schooltje n)

1. A school, educational institution that provides education, whether combined with research or not
2. A thematic educational institute within a larger one, such as in a university for a single research field.
3. Any organisation providing instruction.
4. A movement or stylistic trend.

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

• Afrikaans: skool
  • → Northern Ndebele: isikolo
  • → Nǀuu: skool
  • → Sotho: sekolo
  • → Southern Ndebele: isikolo
  • → Shona: chikoro (through a Nguni intermediate)
  • → Tsonga: xikolo
  • → Venda: tshikolo
  • → Xhosa: isikolo
  • → Zulu: isikole
• Berbice Creole Dutch: skul, sulu
• Negerhollands: skoel, skool
• Petjo: skola, sekola
• → Arawak: sulu
• → Aukan: sikoo
• →? Caribbean Hindustani: skul
• → Kwinti: skoro, skoo
• → Papiamentu: skol, skool
• → Saramaccan: sikoò
• → Sranan Tongo: skoro
  • → Wayana: sikoro
• → Trió: sikora

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle Dutch schōle, from Old Dutch *skola, from Proto-West Germanic *skolu, from Proto-Germanic *skulō, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kʷel- (“crowd, people”).

Noun[edit]

school f (plural scholen, diminutive schooltje n)

1. A school, group of fish or other aquatic animals.

Derived terms[edit]

• samenscholen

Etymology 3[edit]

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb[edit]

school

1. singular past indicative of schuilen
2. first-person singular present indicative of scholen
3. imperative of scholen

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘school.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.