breakfast club: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumInformal, Semi-formal (in an educational/social policy context)
Quick answer
What does “breakfast club” mean?
A group of people who meet regularly in the morning, often before work or school, to eat breakfast together.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A group of people who meet regularly in the morning, often before work or school, to eat breakfast together.
An organised activity or supervised session in a school, providing children with breakfast and sometimes other activities before the school day begins. It can also refer to an informal, recurring morning social gathering among friends, colleagues, or members of a group.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'breakfast club' is strongly associated with a school-provided service for pupils, often free or subsidised, addressing child poverty or working parents' needs. In the US, while school breakfast programs exist, the term is more commonly associated with informal social gatherings among adults (e.g., a business networking 'breakfast club').
Connotations
UK: Strongly connotes child welfare, education policy, and social support. US: More often connotes networking, social bonding, or a recurring informal meeting among peers.
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK media and educational discourse. In the US, it is common but less institutionalised in public discourse outside of specific references to the 1985 film.
Grammar
How to Use “breakfast club” in a Sentence
The [ORGANISATION] runs a breakfast club for [GROUP].[GROUP] meets for a breakfast club every [DAY].She's a member of the [PLACE] breakfast club.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “breakfast club” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- breakfast-club regular
- breakfast-club provision
American English
- breakfast-club vibe
- breakfast-club idea
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
A regular informal meeting of colleagues or professionals over breakfast to network or discuss projects.
Academic
Refers to school-based programs studied in education, sociology, or public health research.
Everyday
Used to describe a regular social meet-up with friends or a school activity for children.
Technical
In UK educational policy, a specific provision under pupil welfare or extended school services.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “breakfast club”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “breakfast club”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “breakfast club”
- Using it as a countable noun for the people ('He is a breakfast club') instead of the event ('He is in the breakfast club'). Confusing it with just 'having breakfast with someone'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily yes, as the shared meal is central, but the focus can be equally on socialising, childcare, or networking.
No, it implies a recurring, regular event. For a single meeting, use 'breakfast meeting'.
The students are in mandatory Saturday detention, which feels like an unwanted, early-morning 'club' they've been forced to join.
It is generally informal. In a UK school policy document, it might be used semi-formally as a recognised term for a specific service.
A group of people who meet regularly in the morning, often before work or school, to eat breakfast together.
Breakfast club: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbrekfəst klʌb/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbrekfəst kləb/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “They have a regular breakfast club going.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'club' as a group, and 'breakfast' as the time. It's a club that meets at breakfast time.
Conceptual Metaphor
A MEETING IS A CLUB (structured, regular, with members).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'breakfast club' MOST strongly associated with child welfare and social policy?