Synonyms of school

school 1 of 2

noun

ˈskül 

as in academy

a place or establishment for teaching and learning

one of the first schools in the country to admit girls as students

Synonyms & Similar Words

• academy
• seminary
• kindergarten
• academe
• prep
• high school
• public school
• prep school
• preparatory school
• elementary school
• secondary school
• boarding school
• primary school
• middle school
• trade school
• junior high school
• grammar school
• common school
• senior high school
• yeshivah
• yeshiva
• charter school
• madrasa
• madrassah
• madrasah
• Sunday school
• magnet school
• training school
• minischool
• madrassa

school

2 of 2

verb

as in to teach

to cause to acquire knowledge or skill in some field

schooled their children in proper etiquette for formal occasions

Synonyms & Similar Words

• teach
• educate
• lesson
• train
• tutor
• indoctrinate
• coach
• instruct
• lecture
• mentor
• ground
• guide
• prime
• prepare
• drill
• preach
• homeschool
• inform
• instill
• instil
• qualify
• moralize
• lead
• inculcate
• show
• rear
• impart (to)
• habilitate
• implant
• fit
• verse
• introduce
• direct
• brief
• edify
• enlighten
• catechize
• familiarize
• retrain
• reschool
• initiate
• reteach
• reeducate

Synonym Chooser

How is the word school different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of school are discipline, educate, instruct, teach, and train. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

When is discipline a more appropriate choice than school?

While in some cases nearly identical to school, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

In what contexts can educate take the place of school?

While the synonyms educate and school are close in meaning, educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When might instruct be a better fit than school?

The synonyms instruct and school are sometimes interchangeable, but instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

When is it sensible to use teach instead of school?

In some situations, the words teach and school are roughly equivalent. However, teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

When can train be used instead of school?

The words train and school can be used in similar contexts, but train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of school

Noun

Now, for the first time, the school is confronting the risks of sourcing half of its operating budget from a single entity. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025

But in the lead-up to this school year, these developments led experts to warn that Covid cases may start ramping up again. —Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025

Verb

Seven months later, after the future Hall of Famer took the Jets to school with four touchdown passes in a 34-32 Pittsburgh Steelers victory, Thomas had a good read on exactly what Rodgers was feeling. —Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025

The film acknowledges but rises above that violence as Cervantes’ coming of age tale, as a literary genius and one of history’s greatest humanists, schooled by a disciple of Erasmus. —John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025

Phrases Containing school

• nursery school
• senior high school