schools
HighNeutral
Definition
Meaning
Educational institutions for children and adolescents, especially those providing primary or secondary education; plural form of 'school'.
Any institutions or systems providing specialized instruction (e.g., driving schools, art schools); groups of fish or marine mammals; distinct groups of thought or practice (e.g., philosophical schools); the collective student and faculty body of multiple institutions.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily functions as a countable plural noun. Can denote physical buildings, abstract educational systems, or social groupings. In British English, sometimes implies a distinction between state and private institutions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
British English commonly uses 'schools' to refer to both state and private institutions, with 'public schools' paradoxically meaning elite private fee-paying schools. American English uses 'public schools' for state-funded institutions and 'private schools' for fee-paying ones. 'School district' is an American administrative term; UK uses 'local education authority'.
Connotations
UK: Strong class connotations associated with 'public school' vs. 'state school'. US: Less inherent class distinction, though 'private school' carries prestige.
Frequency
Both varieties use the word with very high frequency. Slight UK preference for 'schools' over 'the school system' in broad discussions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
schools (in/for/across) [place/group]schools of [subject/thought/fish]schools that [relative clause]schools [verb] (e.g., teach, compete, improve)the schools' [possessive noun]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “schools out”
- “old school”
- “of the old school”
- “tell tales out of school”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to the education market, e.g., 'We supply technology to over 200 schools.'
Academic
Used in sociological or educational research, e.g., 'The study compared outcomes across three schools.'
Everyday
General discussion about children's education, e.g., 'The schools in our area are very good.'
Technical
In marine biology: 'A large school of tuna was observed.' In philosophy: 'Different schools of existentialism emerged.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The dolphins school together for protection.
- Parents are schooled in the new online system.
American English
- The fish school near the reef.
- He schools his students in classical rhetoric.
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverbial use for 'schools')
American English
- (No standard adverbial use for 'schools')
adjective
British English
- The schools minister announced new funding.
- We attended a schools football tournament.
American English
- The schools superintendent resigned.
- A schools basketball league was formed.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- There are many schools in my city.
- Children go to schools to learn.
- Schools have teachers and students.
- Local schools will be closed tomorrow due to the snow.
- Some schools offer special programmes in music and art.
- Parents often choose schools based on their Ofsted rating.
- The government's new policy has been criticised by schools across the country.
- Different schools of thought exist regarding the best teaching methodology.
- Funding disparities between state and private schools remain a contentious issue.
- The proliferation of specialist academies has fundamentally altered the landscape of secondary schools in England.
- Postmodernist schools of criticism deconstruct traditional literary analysis.
- The study analysed how schools socio-economically segregate neighbourhoods.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SCHOOLS: Seven Classes Help Our Learning Society. (Reminds that it's plural, involving multiple classes/groups).
Conceptual Metaphor
SCHOOLS ARE CONTAINERS (for knowledge/children). SCHOOLS ARE FACTORIES (producing educated citizens). SCHOOLS ARE COMMUNITIES.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'вуз' (university). 'Schools' typically refers to pre-university education. The Russian word 'школа' is a direct cognate but the system age ranges differ. The plural 'schools' often maps to singular 'школа' when referring to the concept generically.
Common Mistakes
- Using a singular verb with 'schools' (e.g., 'Schools is important' instead of 'are'). Overusing definite article ('the schools' vs. 'schools'). Confusing 'school' as a noun modifier ('school policy') vs. possessive ('school's policy').
Practice
Quiz
In which context does 'schools' NOT refer to educational institutions?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but rarely. The verb 'to school' (meaning to educate or train, or for fish to form a group) can be used in third person singular: 'He schools the horse every morning.' The plural noun 'schools' is not used as a verb.
'Schools'' (plural possessive) is correct when something belongs to multiple schools, e.g., 'The schools' headteachers met.' 'School's' is singular possessive, belonging to one school. 'Schools's' is never correct.
Yes, especially in British and Commonwealth universities. For example, 'the School of Law' or 'the Medical School' are common terms for university faculties or departments.
'Schools' typically refers to the individual institutions themselves. 'The school system' refers to the broader administrative, funding, and policy structure within which schools operate.