since high school

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "since high school" is correct and can be used in written English to refer to a period of time starting in the past and continuing up until the present.
For example, "I have been working on my novel since high school and I'm finally ready to publish it."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

This he has done since high school.

The New York Times - Sports

Not since high school, probably.

The Guardian

Davis has known Weinberger since high school.

The New Yorker

"I haven't been there since high school".

The New York Times

"My parents were together since high school.

The Guardian - Film

He's idolized him since high school.

The Washington Post

I've been boarding since high school.

The Washington Post

I hadn't played like that since high school.

The New Yorker

Tommet Means had been an E.M.T. since high school.

The New Yorker

"I've heard it since high school," he said.

The New York Times - Sports

Nearly a decade had passed since high school.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "since high school" to indicate a continuous state or action that began during your high school years and continues to the present. For example, "I have been playing guitar since high school."

Common error

Avoid using simple past tense when referring to actions that started "since high school". Use present perfect or past perfect continuous to show the continuity of the action. For example, avoid saying "I played guitar since high school"; instead, say "I have been playing guitar since high school".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "since high school" functions as an adverbial phrase of time, indicating when a certain action or state began. It modifies verbs by specifying the starting point of an event or condition that has persisted from high school until the present.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Academia

25%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "since high school" serves as an adverbial phrase of time, denoting the starting point of a continuous action or state that began during one's high school years. As Ludwig AI confirms, its usage is grammatically correct and very common across various contexts, including news, academia, and even informal conversations. To ensure clarity, use present perfect or past perfect continuous tenses when employing this phrase. For alternative expressions, consider phrases like "dating back to high school" or "from the time I attended high school".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

since I was in high school

Adds explicit subject and verb to the phrase.

from the time I attended high school

A more formal and elaborate way of expressing the same timeframe.

ever since my school years

Emphasizes the continuous duration since school.

from my high school days

Focuses on a period within high school, rather than just the starting point.

since leaving secondary school

Alternative term of high school.

beginning in high school

Highlights the start of something during that time.

dating back to high school

Highlights origin in the past.

after graduating high school

Highlights the end of school.

throughout my adult life

Broader timeframe after high school.

post-high school

Highlights origin in the past.

FAQs

How can I use "since high school" in a sentence?

Use "since high school" to specify that an action or state began in high school and continues to the present. For example, "We've been best friends since high school" or "I've been interested in photography since high school".

What's a more formal alternative to "since high school"?

For a more formal tone, you might say "dating back to my high school years" or "from the time I attended high school". These alternatives are suitable for professional or academic contexts.

What can I say instead of "since high school" to emphasize a change?

If you want to emphasize a change or development since that time, you could say "after graduating high school" or "post-high school". These phrases highlight the transition from high school to a new phase.

Is it correct to say "from high school" instead of "since high school"?

While "from high school" can sometimes work, it often implies origin rather than continuous duration. "Since high school" is generally better for indicating something that began in high school and still continues.