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Glite Dictionary
technical school

technical school

4 3.2
A school that teaches practical skills for jobs like car repair or computer work
  • noun
  • /ˈtɛknɪkəl skuːl/
translation icon : escuela técnica
  • After finishing high school, she enrolled in a technical school to pursue a career in plumbing.
  • vocational/technical school
  • technical school graduates
  • programs offered by technical school

But Aaron took me over and showed me a technical school where they teach nursing.

Examples

  • Training for occupation was the province of technical schools or apprenticeship programs (England was a partial exception).

    Academic text (1999)

  • The results from this study add support to the validity of school-to-work programs offered by technical schools.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Young people are better off going to a technical school and picking up a trade.

    Blog text (17)

  • Finding the right kind of superintendent to lead a technical school is not easy.

    Blog text (29)

  • But Aaron took me over and showed me a technical school where they teach nursing.

    The Iced Coffee Hour

  • Since this was a high school competition, many of the students planned to attend university and/or technical school in the future.

    Academic text (2017)

  • All participants were either university students or students at a nearby technical school in Turku, Finland.

    Academic text (2000)

  • John's story is an excellent reason to get back vocational and technical school training.

    Blog text (32)

  • I see Lorain JVS as having everything it needs to be the premier technical school in Ohio.

    Blog text (29)

  • Approximately 82% of the graduates attend college, with 60% going to four-year schools and 22% enrolling in two-year/technical schools.

    Academic text (2007)

Synonyms

tech
vstechnical school
  • Informal
64 3.3

A school that teaches practical skills for jobs with machines and electronics

is the more formal term stressing occupational training
polytechnic
vstechnical school
8 6.1

A school that teaches practical subjects like engineering and applied science

is more focused on direct occupational training rather than broad technical studies
trade school
vstechnical school
8 3.0

A school where people learn practical skills like carpentry or plumbing

is wider, including general industrial and applied science training
vocational school
vstechnical school
5 3.0

A school where students learn practical skills for a specific job

is broader, covering industrial and applied sciences beyond single trades
engineering school
vstechnical school
5 3.2

A college that teaches how to design and build machines and structures

is broader, covering many trades and applied sciences for employment
training school
vstechnical school
1 3.1

A school that teaches useful job skills like cooking or car repair

is more centered on industrial and applied sciences for workplace preparation

How Vocational

trade school
8 3.0
technical school
4 3.2
normal school
  • Archaic
3 6.7

Surface Forms

technical school singular
technical schools plural

Morphology

technical + school

The meaning 'a school providing instruction in technical or applied subjects' is directly and compositionally derived from 'technical' (relating to specialized scientific or professional knowledge) modifying 'school' (an educational institution). This adjective+noun combination maps transparently onto common patterns in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Technical school comes from the word technical, meaning 'skill with tools or machines', and school, a place to learn. These schools used workshops where students learned by doing, so technical school now means a school for practical job training.