grammar school

noun

A school that teaches its pupils the grammar system of a European language, especially Latin and Greek.

Meanings

noungrammar school (countable and uncountable, plural grammar schools)

plural grammar schools

  1. archaiccountableuncountableA school that teaches its pupils the grammar system of a European language, especially Latin and Greek.
  2. UKcountableuncountableA secondary school that stresses academic over practical or vocational education, until recent times open to those pupils who had passed the 11-plus examination.

    Bradshaw eulogises again about "considerable manufactures of woollen cloth", plus the "excellent grammar school, founded by Edward VI".

    2022 October 5, Stephen Roberts, “Bradshaw's Britain: Reading to Southampton: Frome”, in RAIL, number 967, page 56
    2 more examples

    The largest building at one end, now used as a church hall, was originally the village's one-roomed grammar school, also endowed by the Lumleys.

    1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 382, about Thornton Dale

    It is a world where grammar school is the only way up, but at the cost of subjugation to educational tyranny and eventual estrangement from the family that was once so "proud" of your achievements.

    2008 July 12, John Mullan, “Where are they now?”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Dec 2013

    Synonyms: grammar

  3. UScountablerareregionaluncountableElementary school.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA secondary school that stresses academic over practical or vocational education, until recent times open to those pupils who had passed the 11-plus examination.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

nouna school for young children; usually the first 6 or 8 grades

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishgramere scole
  2. Middle Englishgramere scole
  3. Englishgrammar school

Inherited from Middle English gramere scole.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 文法學校 /文法学校, 文法學校 /文法学校
  • 文法學校 /文法学校 (wénfǎ xuéxiào)school that teaches the grammar system of Latin or Greek
  • 文法學校 /文法学校 (wénfǎ xuéxiào)secondary school that stresses academic education
Czech gymnázium
  • gymnáziumsecondary school that stresses academic education
Dutch gymnasium
  • gymnasiumschool that teaches the grammar system of Latin or Greek
Finnish klassinen lukio, lukio
  • klassinen lukioschool that teaches the grammar system of Latin or Greek
  • lukiosecondary school that stresses academic education
German Gymnasium
  • Gymnasiumsecondary school that stresses academic education
Hungarian gimnázium
  • gimnáziumsecondary school that stresses academic education
Irish scoil ghramadaí
  • scoil ghramadaíschool that teaches the grammar system of Latin or Greek
Italian liceo classico
  • liceo classicoschool that teaches the grammar system of Latin or Greek
Polish szkoła gramatyki, liceum ogólnokształcące
  • szkoła gramatykischool that teaches the grammar system of Latin or Greek
  • liceum ogólnokształcącesecondary school that stresses academic education
Slovak gymnázium
  • gymnáziumsecondary school that stresses academic education
Turkish lise
  • lisesecondary school that stresses academic education
Cite this entry
APA

grammar school. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grammar%20school

MLA

“grammar school.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grammar%20school. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “grammar school,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grammar%20school.

Source: grammar school on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.