Can I use the word "school" when referring to something that belongs to a university?


For example, can I refer to the main gate of a university as the school's main gate? Or say school begins in September instead of university begins in September (especially in informal speech)?



Answer



Merriam-Webster defines university as:



a school that offers courses leading to a degree (such as a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree) and where research is done



Therefore a university is a type of school and you can use the word school to refer to a university.


Here is an example of Vanderbilt University referring to their "school's main gate":



More than 1,800 new Vanderbilt University students, including about 1,600 first-year students and more than 200 transfer students, will march into the school’s main gate Sunday, Aug. 23, at 5 p.m. during Founders Walk, a tradition that formally welcomes new students to the Vanderbilt community.



It is also perfectly acceptable to say "school begins in September", although some people might prefer to say "classes begin in September".


Note: As mentioned in the comments, this answer only applies to American English.


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