primary school

noun

1

: a school usually including the first three grades of elementary school but sometimes also including kindergarten

2

: elementary school

Examples of primary school in a Sentence

She goes to primary school.

Recent Examples on the Web

His two sisters were students before the Taliban prohibited girls from continuing beyond primary school. — Fatima Faizi, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026

Any students attending primary school in either district won't be able to use their phones, while high school students will face restrictions. — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026

The Presbyterian Church, for example, did not just build universities, such as Austin College in Texas and Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, but also established 59 academies in 20 states and numerous primary schools. — Thomas Adam, The Conversation, 4 Aug. 2026

Many schools don’t devote nearly enough time to letting kids play, which is one of the key ways primary school-age children learn. — Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

translation of French école primaire

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for primary school

• ampoule
• bascule
• carpool
• cesspool
• ferrule
• footstool
• guayule
• lobule
• misrule
• preschool
• pustule
• whirlpool