primary school

noun

Synonyms of primary schoolnext
1
: a school usually including the first three grades of elementary school but sometimes also including kindergarten
2
: elementary school

Examples of primary school in a Sentence

She goes to primary school.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
My 5-year-old daughter will start primary school in Italy this September. — Cassandra Tresl, CNBC, 27 June 2026 In Belgium, soaring temperatures forced a primary school near Brussels to relocate its final exams to a nearby church. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 23 June 2026 If primary schools should teach AI literacy to prepare children for the future, boards should demand AI fraud literacy in their companies now, to defend the present. — Bojan Ilic, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 Local councillor Carsten Brokelmann said that the city operates a daycare facility and a primary school in the immediate vicinity of where the shooting happened. — Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for primary school

Word History

Etymology

translation of French école primaire

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of primary school was in 1792

Rhymes for primary school

See All Rhymes for primary school

Browse Nearby Words

primary salt
primary school
primary shipments
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Cite this Entry

“Primary school.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primary%20school. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on primary school

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for primary school

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about primary school

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