school day
school day — noun
1. one of the days between Monday and Friday when children attend classes at school
one of the days between Monday and Friday when children attend classes at school, as opposed to Saturday or Sunday when they stay at home.
Monday is a school day, but the children have no classes on Saturday or Sunday.
school day vs weekend contrast
There are five school days each week in most countries around the world.
countable: five school days
On a school day, Ryo wakes up at seven o'clock to catch the bus.
prepositional phrase: 'on a school day'
The park is much quieter on a school day than during the summer holidays.
Friday is always a short school day because classes end an hour early.
- on a school day
- a short school day
- the first school day (e.g. after a holiday)
- weekday
broader — includes any day from Monday to Friday, not just those when school is in session.
- weekend
Saturday and Sunday, when most schools are closed.
Grammar Patterns
school day + as a countable noun
on a school day
Common Mistakes
2. the hours each day during which lessons and other school activities take place,
the hours each day during which lessons and other school activities take place, usually from morning until early afternoon.
The school day starts at eight thirty and finishes at three fifteen.
the school day + starts at [time] / finishes at [time]
During the school day, students have lessons, break time, and lunch.
during the school day
Kemi's grandmother picks her up from school at the end of the school day.
The principal decided to extend the school day by adding thirty minutes of reading time.
We had a short assembly at the beginning of the school day.
- the school day starts / begins / ends / finishes
- extend / shorten the school day
- during the school day
- at the beginning / end of the school day
- school hours
more specific to the time framework; 'school day' can also imply the activities that fill those hours.
Grammar Patterns
the school day + starts/ends + at + time
during the school day
Usage Note
This sense is almost always singular ('the school day'). It refers to the daily timetable, not to a particular calendar day.
Common Mistakes
3. the period in a person's childhood and teenage years when they attend school, of
the period in a person's childhood and teenage years when they attend school, often remembered or referred to later in life.
Mrs. Okafor often looks back fondly on her school days in Lagos.
fondly look back on one's school days
His school days were filled with football practice, music lessons, and homework.
I still keep in touch with friends from my school days.
friends from (someone's) school days
Sirin wrote a novel about her school days at a boarding school in the mountains.
My uncle says his school days were the happiest time of his life.
- (one's) school days
- look back on / remember / recall one's school days
- friends from school days
- since (one's) school days
- school years
interchangeable, but 'school days' has a more nostalgic, informal tone.
- schooldays
written as one word, same meaning, slightly more formal or literary.
Grammar Patterns
(one's) school days + verb
from (one's) school days
Usage Note
Always in plural ('school days') for this sense. Singular 'school day' would be understood as sense 1 or 2.
Common Mistakes
Etymology
A compound of 'school' (a place for teaching and learning) and 'day' (a period of twenty-four hours). The phrase has been used since the 1500s to refer first to the calendar day when school is held, then also to the daily schedule and, by the 1800s, to the childhood period of being a student.