Standard Lemma guide

gaokao

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ɡaʊˈkaʊ/
  • gouʹkouʹ

1

noun

Meaning 1

The National Higher Education Entrance Examination held annually in China as a prerequisite for entrance into most forms of higher education.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: China

Topics: education

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin 高考 (gāokǎo, literally “higher [education] [entrance] examination”).

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Cantonese: 高考 (gou1 haau2) — examination held annually in China
  • Chinese Mandarin: 高考 (gāokǎo) — examination held annually in China
  • Japanese: 高考 (kōkō) — examination held annually in China
  • Vietnamese: cao khảo — examination held annually in China