A schoolgirl is a girl who attends school, typically used to describe students in elementary, middle, or high school. The term often appears in classic children's books and stories from earlier eras, like British boarding school tales where plucky schoolgirls solved mysteries or had adventures together.

You might read about a schoolgirl discovering a secret passage in an old manor, or a group of schoolgirls forming a study club. The word carries a slightly old-fashioned feeling, the kind you'd find in books written decades ago rather than in everyday conversation today. Most people now simply say “student” instead.

The male equivalent is schoolboy, though both terms sound more formal and dated than simply calling someone a student.