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Glite Dictionary
sixth-former

sixth-former

1 6.7
A student aged 16 to 18 in the final years of a British secondary school
  • noun
  • /sɪksθ ˈfɔːmə/
  • UK
translation icon : estudiante de sexto
  • Point guard RJ Taylor, a sixth former from Wingdale, NY, said there were regularly a number of visiting coaches.

Examples

  • The sixth-former enjoyed discussing university options with his teachers.

  • The sixth-former prepared meticulously for his upcoming exams over the summer.

  • As a sixth-former, she took on leadership roles in multiple school projects.

Surface Forms

sixth-former singular
sixth formers plural

Morphology

sixth-former = sixth form (transparent) = six + form + th + er

The word transparently means a student belonging to the sixth form, with the standard agentive suffix '-er' added to the school-stage term.

Etymology

The word sixth-former comes from British schools where the last years are called the sixth form, meaning 'the sixth year' or 'a year group'; a sixth-former is simply a student in that group, usually aged 16 to 18.