Word
school
US/ˈskuɫ/
UK/skˈuːl/
Definition
n. a place where people go to learn from teachers. It can also mean the time you spend there or the group of people in the building.
n. an institution for the instruction of students, typically those in primary or secondary education. Also used to refer to the student body or the period of instruction.
Examples
“The children walk to school every morning.”
“After the summer holidays, the local school prepares to welcome a new group of students into the first grade.”
“While the physical school remains closed for renovations, the administration has moved all classes to a digital platform to ensure the curriculum stays on schedule for the upcoming exams.”
Examples
simple
“The children walk to school every morning.”
contextual
“After the summer holidays, the local school prepares to welcome a new group of students into the first grade.”
complex
“While the physical school remains closed for renovations, the administration has moved all classes to a digital platform to ensure the curriculum stays on schedule for the upcoming exams.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the institution or the activity of learning ('at school', 'go to school'); countable when referring to a specific building.
Pitfall
I am at the school now
I am at school now
When talking about being a student or attending classes, 'school' is used without an article.
Collocations
Word family
Related words
Idioms
new school — A style, way of thinking, or method for accomplishing a task that is typical of the current era, as opposed to former eras.
old school — Preceded by the: a group of people characterized by being conservative or traditional; also, a method for accomplishing a task, a style, or a way of thinking that was employed in a former era, remembered either for its inferiority to the current method, or for its superiority over the new way.
open the schools — Expressing that someone is wrong or misinformed, especially where something should be widely understood (e.g. learned in school) but is not.
rule the school — (of one or a group of students) To socially dominate a school's student population, or a major part of it (such as the girls or the boys).
school of hard knocks — The source of an education consisting of real-world experiences, especially adverse experiences.
tell tales out of school — To reveal confidential or sensitive information; to gossip.
too cool for school — Very cool (trendy, fashionable, etc.).