high school

American  

noun

1. a school attended after elementary school or junior high school and usually consisting of grades 9 or 10 through 12.

---

high school British  

noun

1. another term for grammar school

2. a secondary school from grade 7 to grade 12

3. a secondary school, the grades covered depending on the province

---

Other Word Forms

• high school adjective
• high schooler noun

Etymology

Origin of high school

First recorded in 1815–25

Compare meaning

How does high-school compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• secondary school vs. high school

Example Sentences

“It takes strong men,” said Hurley, the son of New Jersey high school coaching legend Bob Hurley, and the brother of Duke icon Bobby.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

DeLorenzo spent nearly two decades as an official, working her way up through high school and various levels of college football, before becoming only the third woman to officiate NFL games.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Magyar went to an elite Catholic boys' high school near the centre of Budapest before studying law at a Catholic university in Budapest while Orban was serving his first term as prime minister from 1998-2002.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

The multiple Emmy winner will pick up with a time jump and its characters living as young adults, five years after high school, and things look completely out of control.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

But the fact that I was attending high school posed quite a challenge for my mother, since suddenly my classmates were all teenagers.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• secondary school