finishing school

noun

: a private school for girls that emphasizes cultural studies and prepares students especially for social activities

Examples of finishing school in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In this entry, the third of the series, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his chums at a children’s finishing school for magicians called Hogwarts must work together to protect Harry from a killer named Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who intends to kill the young wizard. David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Apr. 2026 The first was her character; in Hulu’s Handmaid’s Tale sequel, the 22-year-old plays Daisy, a Toronto teen turned undercover agent at a Gilead girls finishing school. Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026 Many students are already working in aviation while finishing school. Pete Muntean, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026 Obviously, hijinks ensue, especially when the wealthy man's daughter heads to the New York mansion after running away from finishing school, and a few other WWII vets and their families enter the mix just in time to spend the holidays together. Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for finishing school

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of finishing school was in 1832

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Cite this Entry

“Finishing school.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finishing%20school. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.

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