middle school

noun

Definition of middle schoolnext
as in high school

Related Words

Relevance

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 middle school For students in middle school and high school, the time limits are per course. — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026 The monsters are mostly metaphorical in this book, but the middle school emotions are vividly real. — Literary Hub, 3 Aug. 2026 Data from the Learning Policy Institute shows students who perform poorly in math in middle school rarely suddenly improve in high school, since foundational understanding of mathematics is built in lower level middle school courses. — Samuel O’Neal 31, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026 That distinction becomes essential during upper elementary and middle school, which is the exact age kids naturally begin to pull away. — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for middle school
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle school
  1. high school
  2. public school
  3. junior high school
  4. grammar school
  5. secondary school
  6. elementary school
  7. trade school
  8. senior high school
Noun
  • Hilliard served as the administrator of Colorado’s Nike Elite program from 2021 to 2025, managing funds from the sportswear giant’s program to provide high school athletes with mentorship and equipment.
    — Matt Moret, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Every year, the AJC chooses the 11 top graduating high school football players in the state.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of high school
Noun
  • Before the Taliban returned to power five years ago — on August 15, 2021 — Mubariz remembered his public school as friendly and relatively open.
    — Fatima Faizi, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
  • With that money, the foundation offered to train 82 Orange County public school teachers for free.
    — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of public school
Noun
  • So the Sephora Performance Center might as well be a junior high school gym.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The two remaining students already were of junior high school age and were in the midst of attending middle school in neighboring districts as part of an agreement that McAuley leaders reached with District 33 in the late 1980s.
    — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
Definition of junior high school
Noun
  • Lowden and Smith were grammar school classmates and later served time together in Wethersfield.
    — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
  • Can states ban transgender kids from playing sports in grammar school, when boys and girls routinely play on the same teams?
    — Nina Totenberg, NPR, 30 June 2026
Definition of grammar school
Noun
  • In 2014, Boko Haram took almost three hundred girls from a secondary school in Chibok; the whereabouts of some ninety are still unknown.
    — Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Part of the summer will be preparing George for what is ahead at secondary school, namely from William, who also attended Eton.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 29 July 2026
Definition of secondary school
Noun
  • Soil samples from the two elementary school campuses, City Terrace and Christopher Dena, exceeded the applicable regulatory screening levels of lead, which were flagged for further evaluation.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Music lessons followed, and English instruction was extended to elementary school students.
    — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of elementary school
Noun
  • When participants come into the program, some want to finish a trade school, like HVAC or beauty school, while others may want to improve their grades.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 27 July 2026
  • For some students, the appeal of immediate earnings and jobs that come with attending a trade school is a big draw—many of these graduates secure employment while still enrolled thanks to program partnerships with local businesses.
    — Jessica Bryant, USA Today, 22 July 2026
Definition of trade school
Noun
  • This would be required for elementary, junior and senior high schools.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2026
  • Yet running in a pro race in Europe after that senior high school season in 2004, Rupp came up more than 36 seconds off of Chapa’s time.
    — Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
Definition of senior high school

Browse Nearby Words

middles
middle school
middle schooler
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Middle school.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle%20school. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All