See also: A level

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Short for advanced level.

Noun

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A-level (plural A-levels)

  1. (England, Wales) A non-compulsory examination taken in the final two years of secondary education as a requisite for university or other tertiary education; the qualification obtained by passing such an exam
    I took my A-levels last year.
    Applicants must have at least one A level.
  2. (Internet slang, prostitution, euphemistic) Anal sex.

Usage notes

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UK Government style guides proscribe hyphenation (i.e. A level),[1] whilst most news style guides (BBC, Guardian, Telegraph, Associated Press, The Times) instead require it, possibly to avoid confusion with "A grade".[2][3][4][5] The Times notes in its style guide that the distinction between the hyphenated and non-hyphenated form seems to be "lost on most readers (and many of our journalists)."[6] Many universities (including Oxford and Bristol) use the hyphenated form, though notably Cambridge does not (possibly as they offer examinations).

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ “Style guide”, in GOV.UK[1], Government Digital Service, 2024:A level - No hyphen. Lower case level.
  2. ^ “News Style Guide - A”, in BBC News[2], BBC, (Can we date this quote?):A-level - ie with hyphen and lower case "l".
  3. ^ “Guardian and Observer style guide: A”, in The Guardian[3], (Can we date this quote?)
  4. ^ “Telegraph style book: Aa”, in The Telegraph[4], (Can we date this quote?):A-level: lc l
  5. ^ “Day of emotion for hundreds of thousands of students in England as they learn final school results”, in Associated Press[5], (Can we date this quote?):As is always the case, not everyone got the grades they had hoped for in their two-year A-level courses, usually three or four.
  6. ^ Ian Brunskill, editor (2022), The Times Style Guide: A Guide to English Usage, →ISBN:A-level hyphenate as a noun and adjective; the distinction previously observed seemed lost on most readers (and many of our journalists). Likewise use AS-levels and, in a historical context, O-levels

Anagrams

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