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

In simple terms, pre-school and kindergarten are vital for success in high school. —Michael Maguire, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026

More than half of littles were developmentally ready for kindergarten. —Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 Jan. 2026

This map, mostly a county map, shows the percentage of mostly kindergarten-age children who are legally exempt from having to be vaccinated in order to attend school. —Mustafa Fattah, NBC news, 2 Jan. 2026

Drone strikes allegedly ordered by the RSF in early December struck a kindergarten and nearby hospital in Sudan's South Kordofan region, killing 114 people, including 63 children. —Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 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"