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 first day of kindergarten is a big milestone for kids and their grown-ups alike. —Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025

Needed are new clothing for elementary-aged children, such as shorts or slacks/jeans and a T-shirt or top that matches for children in kindergarten through 5th grade sizes 5-10. —Pomerado News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025

The starting rate for pre-K teachers in Osceola is just over $16 and hour, while the district’s first-year kindergarten teachers can earn more than $50,000 a year, equating to about $24 an hour. —Michael Cuglietta, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Aug. 2025

The five-year-old's next challenge will be taking on the kindergarten classroom next week. —Jillian Frankel, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025

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
• quartan
• 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"