Definition of schoolnext

school

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word school different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of school are discipline, educate, instruct, teach, and train. While all these words mean "to cause to acquire knowledge or skill," school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

When is discipline a more appropriate choice than school?

While in some cases nearly identical to school, discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

In what contexts can educate take the place of school?

While the synonyms educate and school are close in meaning, educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

When might instruct be a better fit than school?

The synonyms instruct and school are sometimes interchangeable, but instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

When is it sensible to use teach instead of school?

In some situations, the words teach and school are roughly equivalent. However, teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

When can train be used instead of school?

The words train and school can be used in similar contexts, but train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of school
Noun
Kelchen expects an uptick in closures rather than a massive wave, with schools in rural parts of the Northeast and Midwest facing particularly strong headwinds. Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 Six others suffered minor injuries, including the driver and student in the school van. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
While access to schooling for girls was severely limited in 2001, by 2021 nearly 1 million girls were enrolled in secondary education. ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 While girls had severely limited access to schooling in 2001, nearly 1 million were enrolled in secondary education by 2021, according to UNESCO. Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for school
Recent Examples of Synonyms for school
Noun
  • An Antwerp academy graduate, Kegels launched her eponymous label in 2024, and made her official runway debut in Paris last September.
    Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • France’s elite talent attends sports academies such as INSEP, which prepares athletes for a professional career.
    Eden Laase, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Hossain, who teaches part-time at Smith College, including a course on love and devotion in Bollywood cinema, argues that the pressures her film dramatizes extend well beyond South Asia.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Another pledge is to create separate schools for the children of refugees, to teach them the curriculum of their home countries.
    Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Eventually, Lamb attended seminary and became a Catholic priest in 1966.
    Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The location pushed the seminary’s politics to the left, but poverty and activist flags are harder to find in Chelsea these days.
    Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • His campaign is trying to stamp out the stigma that surrounds an HIV diagnosis and educate people about the basics, such as how the virus can't be spread through touching or sharing food.
    Betsy Joles, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
  • My main goal is to educate and try and help clarify any confusion.
    Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“School.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/school. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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