high school
a school for older students, usually between the ages of 14 and 18.
“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.”
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.
Last updated April 22, 2026