school
gb/skˈul/ us/skˈul/
A1
English
~ 200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Place for formal education
A place where children go to learn from teachers.
Usage pattern:
to go to [school]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'school' as a countable noun with 'school' in the uncountable sense ('at school' vs 'at the school').
Synonyms
academy (A formal or specialized school, often for a specific subject or skill.)
Antonyms
home (In the context of education, learning at home instead of attending an institution.)
Collocations
attend school
|go to school
|school building
|school year
|school teacher
Themes
education
|daily life
|daily_life
Examples
- My children start school at 8:30 every morning.
- The new school was built in the center of town.
- She has been teaching at the same school for ten years.
- School ends at 3 p.m. here.
- They moved to get their kids into a better school.
Learner examples
- I walk to school every day.
- Our school is very big.
- My best friend is in my school.
- School starts at nine o'clock.
- I like my school.
Noun
A1
entity
2
Time when classes are held
The time when students have lessons.
Usage pattern:
[school] starts/ends at [time]
Synonyms
classes (Refers to the actual lessons or teaching periods rather than the institution.)
Antonyms
holiday (A break from school when no classes are held.)
Collocations
school day
|school term
|school year
|after school
Themes
education
|time
|daily_life
Examples
- School finishes early on Fridays.
- We have six hours of school each day.
- School is closed today due to snow.
- School starts again after summer vacation.
Learner examples
- School starts at eight o'clock.
- We have school from Monday to Friday.
- School is closed today.
- I like school in the morning.
Noun
B1
entity
3
University department or faculty
A part of a university for one subject area, like law or medicine.
Synonyms
faculty (Used especially in British English to mean a division of a university.)
Collocations
business school
|law school
|medical school
|school of engineering
Themes
education
Examples
- She applied to the School of Architecture.
- He's in law school right now.
- The School of Medicine has a new research center.
Learner examples
- He is in medical school.
- I study at the business school.
- She goes to law school.
- I want to go to art school.
Noun
B2
entity
4
Group with shared style or thought
A group of people who work in the same way or believe the same ideas about something.
Synonyms
movement (Often used in artistic or political contexts for a group with shared beliefs or methods.)
Collocations
school of thought
|Impressionist school
|philosophical school
Themes
culture
|art
|education
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The Impressionist school changed the art world.
- He belongs to the realist school of thought.
- There are two main schools of philosophy on this issue.
Learner examples
- There is a new school of painting.
- He is part of the old school of thinking.
- The Impressionist school is famous.
Noun
B1
entity
5
Group of fish swimming together
Many fish swimming together.
Synonyms
shoal (Commonly used in British English for a similar meaning, but can also refer to shallow water.)
Collocations
school of fish
Themes
nature
|animals
Examples
- We saw a huge school of tuna near the coast.
- A school of sardines passed by the boat.
- Divers spotted a school of colorful fish.
Learner examples
- I saw a school of fish.
- A big school of fish swam past us.
- There is a school of fish under the boat.
Grammar
Dictionary form
school
IPA
GB/skˈul/
US/skˈul/
Syllables & stress
school (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (school)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: school
- Plural: school, schools
Word family
Forms
schools
noun
Core family
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
unschooled
adjective
Advanced or less common
Expressions
after school
1/ˈæftɚ skˈul/
fixed phrase
Time after classes end for the day
The time after classes finish each day.
Examples
- We have soccer practice after school.
- She works at a café after school.
go to school
1/ɡˈoʊ tə skˈul/
fixed phrase
Attend an educational institution
To be a student at a place where you learn from teachers.
Examples
- Children in this country must go to school until they are 16.
- I went to school in New York City.
in-school suspension
1/ˈɪn skˈul səspˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
Disciplinary action keeping student in school but out of class
Punishment where a student must stay at school but not go to normal classes.
Examples
- He received an in-school suspension for fighting.
- In-school suspension lasts three days here.
old school
1/ˈoʊld skˈul/
idiom
informal
Traditional or old-fashioned methods/attitudes
Having ideas or ways that were common in the past but not now.
Examples
- He's kind of old school when it comes to manners.
- This restaurant is run in an old-school way.
school of thought
1/skˈul əv θˈɔt/
idiom
Shared set of ideas on a subject
A way of thinking that is shared by some people about one subject.
Examples
- There is more than one school of thought about how to teach reading.
- I'm in the school of thought that believes experience matters more than theory.