Definition

Noun: A private secondary school that prepares students for college or university. The term "prep" is short for "preparatory," indicating its primary function of academic preparation.

Usage

"Prep school" is used to refer to a specific type of private, often academically rigorous, secondary institution. It is commonly used in American English but understood in other English-speaking contexts. * He attended an elite prep school in New England before going to Harvard. * The curriculum at a prep school is designed to prepare students for higher education.

Advanced Usage

• "Boarding prep school": A prep school where students live on campus.
  • She spent her high school years at a boarding prep school.
• The term can sometimes carry connotations of social elitism, wealth, or tradition, depending on context.

Variants and Related Words

• Preparatory school: The full, formal term for "prep school."
  • The preparatory school has a century-long history.
• College-preparatory school: A more descriptive term emphasizing the goal of college admission.

Synonyms

• Private school: A broader term for any fee-charging school, not all of which are specifically college-preparatory.
• Independent school: Often used synonymously with private school, emphasizing its governance structure.

Related Phrases

• Prep school graduate: An alumnus/alumna of a preparatory school.
  • Many prep school graduates attend prestigious universities.

Noun

1. a private secondary school