kindergarten

noun

kin·​der·​gar·​ten ˈkin-dər-ˌgär-tᵊn 

ˈkin-də-, 

-dᵊn

plural kindergartens

: a school or class for children usually from five to six years old

Examples of kindergarten in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The kindergarten his daughter attends must move the children to a shelter whenever an air-raid alert sounds. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026

The press conference was for the governor to sign a series of bills, including a literacy bill that provides training and support for educators, requires screening for dyslexia and other learning disabilities and mandates kindergarten attendance. — Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Speaking of coordination, this is the bag my daughter chose on her first day of kindergarten to go along with her State Bag backpack. — Melissa Knific, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Sep. 2026

In some school districts, a child who turns five in late September may have to wait until the following year to start kindergarten just before their sixth birthday, for example, whereas a child who turned five in August could start that year. — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

German, from Kinder children + Garten garden

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kindergarten

• carton
• garten
• marten
• parton
• spartan
• tartan

Kids Definition

kindergarten

noun

kin·​der·​gar·​ten ˈkin-də(r)-ˌgärt-ᵊn 

-ˌgärd-

: a school or class for very young children

Etymology

from German kindergarten "a school for very young children," from kinder "children" and garten "garden"