From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishprivate schoolˈprivate school noun [countable] SESPRIVATE/NON-GOVERNMENTa school that is not supported by government money, where education must be paid for by the children’s parents → public school, state school
Examples from the Corpus
private school• The Grammar schools were for the most able, bright academic pupils and were run along private school lines.• In this very poor country, private school fees are beyond the means of much of the population.• This took her and her household to the small town of Bustinza, where she again started her own private school.• The trouble was, the private school fees had suddenly doubled.• Feeling the pinch ... the parents who won't pay their private school fees. 