sixth form

English

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sixth form

Where it comes from

Earlier educational naming conventions in public schools termed every two years of education "forms" (itself sometimes said to be from form (“bench”), where students of certain ages would sit together, though disputed, or alternatively from form (“established method of expression or practice”)), where Years 12 and 13 (i.e. ages 16 to 18) was the "sixth" and final form. State schools adopted the term "sixth form" and retained it when the rest of the form structure was dropped.

noun sixth forms · 6th form

countable, uncountable The final two years of secondary education, during which students of about 16 to 18 years of age prepare for their A-level examinations or equivalent qualifications. Nathaniel: Maister, there is nobody to teach in the sixth form. Maister: What a thing is this? N: He is sick in bed. M: How do you know? N: One of the scholars in his house told me so.
countable, uncountable a sixth form college.

Translations

Every language

noun final two years of secondary schooling

Français	classes de première et terminale
Deutsch	Oberstufe, Sekundarstufe II
Italiano	quinta superiore

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MLA

"sixth form." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sixth%20form. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

sixth form. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sixth%20form

Chicago

"sixth form." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sixth%20form.

BibTeX

@misc{sixth_form_2026,
  title = {sixth form},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sixth%20form},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}