Definition

1. Noun:
   • Private independent secondary school in Great Britain: In the United Kingdom, a "public school" is a prestigious, fee-charging, and often long-established private secondary school that is not administered by the state. It is typically a boarding school.
   • Tuition-free school in the United States: In the United States, a "public school" is a primary or secondary school funded and controlled by local or state government through taxes. It is free to attend and open to all students in its district.

Usage Examples

• Noun (UK context):
  • He was educated at Eton, a famous British public school.
  • The tradition of many British public schools dates back centuries.
• Noun (US context):
  • All children in the neighborhood attend the local public school.
  • Funding for the public school system comes from property taxes.

Advanced Usage

• "The public school system": Refers to the entire network of state-funded schools in a country or region.
  • She is a strong advocate for improving the public school system.
• "Public school education": Describes the type of education received at such a school.
  • The debate compared the outcomes of a public school education versus private schooling.

Variants and Related Words

• State school (UK): The British term for what Americans call a "public school" (i.e., a government-funded school).
• Private school: A general term for a school that is not supported by public funds, requiring tuition. In the UK, "public schools" are a type of private school.
• Independent school: Often synonymous with "private school," used in both the UK and US.

Synonyms

• For US meaning: State school, government school, free school.
• For UK meaning: Private school, independent school, boarding school (for many).

Notes on Different Meanings

• The meaning of "public school" is a classic example of a false friend between British and American English. The terms refer to entirely different institutions based on funding, control, and student body. The key distinction is that the British version is private and fee-paying, while the American version is state-funded and free.

Noun

1. private independent secondary school in Great Britain supported by endowment and tuition
2. a tuition free school in the United States supported by taxes and controlled by a school board