1
: an organization that provides instruction: such as
a
: an institution for the teaching of children
b
c(1)
: a group of scholars and teachers pursuing knowledge together that with similar groups constituted a medieval university
(2)
: one of the four faculties of a medieval university
(3)
: an institution for specialized higher education often associated with a university
the school of engineering
d
: an establishment offering specialized instruction
a secretarial school
driving schools
2
a(1)
: the process of teaching or learning especially at a school
(2)
: attendance at a school
(3)
: a session of a school
b
: a school building
c
: the students attending a school
also
: its teachers and students
3
: a source of knowledge
experience was his school
4
a
: a group of persons who hold a common doctrine or follow the same teacher (as in philosophy, theology, or medicine)
the Aristotelian school
also
: the doctrine or practice of such a group
b
: a group of artists under a common influence
c
: a group of persons of similar opinions or behavior
also
: the shared opinions or behavior of such a group
other schools of thought
5
: the regulations governing military drill of individuals or units
also
: the exercises carried out
the school of the soldier
schooled; schooling; schools
1
a
: to teach or drill in a specific knowledge or skill
well schooled in languages
b
: to discipline or habituate to something
school oneself in patience
2
: to educate in an institution of learning
The child was schooled at great cost to her family.
: a large number of fish or aquatic animals of one kind swimming together
schooled; schooling; schools
: to swim or feed in a school
bluefish are schooling
Examples of school in a Sentence
Noun (1)
one of the first schools in the country to admit girls as students
Verb (1)
schooled their children in proper etiquette for formal occasions
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Community fear could also be impactful because many families get a lot of community services from schools, said Louis Malfaro, associate executive director of Austin Voices for Education and Youth, a nonprofit that runs family resource centers in Austin schools and in 2023 served 6,800 people.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 8 July 2025
Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Over time, seeing Griffith and other songwriters such as Don Sanders and Eric Taylor schooled Lovett on how songwriters expressed themselves through their music.
—Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for school
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Noun
Yet most schools ban these tools or label them as cheating.
—Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Community fear could also be impactful because many families get a lot of community services from schools, said Louis Malfaro, associate executive director of Austin Voices for Education and Youth, a nonprofit that runs family resource centers in Austin schools and in 2023 served 6,800 people.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 8 July 2025
Verb
Instead of being schooled as a courtesan, Alix has been shipped off to England in order to learn the skills required of a proper English wife.
—Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Over time, seeing Griffith and other songwriters such as Don Sanders and Eric Taylor schooled Lovett on how songwriters expressed themselves through their music.
—Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for school
Cite this Entry
“School.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/school. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
school
1 of 3 noun1
a
: a place or establishment for teaching and learning
public schools
a music school
b
: a faculty or division within an institution for higher education devoted to teaching, study, and research in a particular area of knowledge : college
school of law
graduate school
2
a
: a session of school
missed school yesterday
b
c
: the students or students and teachers of a school
the whole school was at the assembly
3
: a group of persons having the same opinions and beliefs or accepting the same methods or leaders
also
: the shared opinions, beliefs, or methods of such a group
school
2 of 3 verb1
: to teach or drill in a specific skill or area of knowledge
well schooled in languages
2
: to discipline or make used to something
school oneself in patience
school
3 of 3 noun
: a large number of water-dwelling animals of one kind (as fish) swimming together
Etymology
Noun
Old English scōl "a place for learning," from Latin schola (same meaning), from Greek scholē "leisure, discussion, lecture, school"
Word Origin
The English word school comes from the Greek scholē. The original meaning of scholē was "leisure." To the Greeks it seemed natural that one's leisure should be spent learning and thinking. Scholē therefore came to mean not only "leisure" but also "a place for learning." Many Greeks were later employed by the Romans as teachers, and the Romans borrowed the Greek word as schola. The Latin word schola in time came into Old English as scōl.
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