# high school

idiom · CEFR A1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/high-school
Updated: 2026-04-22

## Meaning

a school for older students, usually between the ages of 14 and 18.

## Examples

- My sister starts high school next week.
- She plays on the high school basketball team every Friday night.
- Do you need a diploma from high school to get this job?
- He made many lifelong friends while he was attending high school in his hometown.
- Most students choose which foreign language they want to study before their first year of high school begins.
- The local high school offers evening classes for adults who want to learn how to code or paint.
- Teachers at the high school often stay late to help their students prepare for difficult university entrance exams.
- Reflecting on his youth, he realized that the lessons he learned during high school shaped his character more than any other experience.

## Origin

Inherited from Middle English hyȝ scole, denoting a school for higher education, the term is a compound of high and school. It shares its lineage with the Dutch hogeschool, used for academies and universities, and the German Hochschule, which identifies a college or university.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.