grad·u·ate
ˈgra-jə-ˌwāt 
graduated; graduating
1
: to receive an academic degree or diploma
graduated with honors
2
: to pass from one stage of experience, proficiency, or prestige to a usually higher one
graduated to team leader
3
: to change gradually
1
a
: to grant an academic degree or diploma to
b
: to be graduated from
joined the navy after graduating high school
2
a
: to mark with degrees of measurement
b
: to divide into grades or intervals
3
: to admit to a particular standing or grade
Usage of Graduate
In the 19th century the transitive sense (1a) was prescribed; the intransitive
I graduated from college
was condemned. The intransitive prevailed nonetheless, and today it is the sense likely to be prescribed and the newer transitive sense (1b)
she graduated high school
the one condemned. All three are standard. The intransitive is currently the most common, the new transitive the least common.
grad·u·ate
ˈgra-jə-wət
-ˌwāt
-ˌwāt
ˈgraj-wət
1
: a holder of an academic degree or diploma
a college graduate
2
: a graduated cup, cylinder, or flask
grad·u·ate
ˈgra-jə-wət
1
: of, relating to, or engaged in studies beyond the first or bachelor's degree
graduate school
a graduate student
2
: holding an academic degree or diploma
Examples of graduate in a Sentence
Verb
He graduated from the university last June.
They both graduated with honors.
She graduated with a degree in history.
He joined the navy after graduating from high school.
a graduating class of 300 students
He joined the navy after graduating high school.
The word has graduated from slang to accepted use.
My nephew has graduated from baby food to solid food.
Adjective
He is taking graduate classes at the university.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
Jerry attended Texas Christian University and West Texas State University, graduating in 1951.
—Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2024
The additional time will allow researchers to more meaningfully analyze the policy's effects, including studying a full cohort of students who applied under the policy and graduated.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2024
The showcase provides an opportunity for the graduating cohort to premiere their short films to an audience of agency and studio representatives, as well as other artists from the creative community.
—Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Nicole grew up in Idaho, graduated from Idaho State University and Northwestern University with a master’s degree in journalism.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 5 Apr. 2024
Hunter Howell, 22 years old and freshly graduated with a degree in business administration from Elmhurst University in the Chicago suburbs, has submitted over 1,700 job applications.
—Bysasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
He was focused on graduating from high school and for the most part had stayed out of trouble, his mother said.
—Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Apr. 2024
The recognition comes during the 40th anniversary of Lee’s graduation from Tisch and the 20th anniversary of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music from which Love graduated in 2017.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2024
Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Some graduates have gone on to earn master’s degrees.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
Johnson and McCollum are graduates of Texas’ red-dirt music scene, which has its own thriving concert scene, providing careers for such acts as Aaron Watson, Casey Donahew, Wade Bowen, The Randy Rogers Band and Bri Bagwell.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
Stanford University’s next president will be Jonathan Levin, an economist who currently serves as dean of the graduate business school and whose association with the university dates back to his undergraduate days in the 1990s.
—Stephanie Saul, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
The college graduate has an interest in film like his father.
—Emy Lacroix, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2024
Ken Fisher Fisher, a high school dropout turned college graduate, took $250 to start Fisher Investments.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
Last year, a hydrology professor was fatally shot on campus by a disgruntled former graduate student.
—Helen Rummel, The Arizona Republic, 2 Apr. 2024
Femi, a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama, starred in the shot put for the Crimson Tide, winning an SEC title.
—Jim Varsallone, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024
The vast majority of answers were personal, with more than half mentioning job opportunities or problems with graduate school.
—Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Why are scientists leaving academic labs? Interestingly, the number of graduate students — those pursuing master’s degrees and PhDs — in biomedical fields has grown by 22% between 2018 and 2022, according to the NSF survey.
—Eva Rothenberg, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024
It is anticipated that the graduate students would live in or near Detroit — rather than Ann Arbor — with many of them taking residence in a planned 18-story, 261-unit residential tower to be built next to the UMCI.
—Detroit Free Press, 29 Mar. 2024
Inspired by President Johnson’s call to end poverty, Cove in 1965 had dropped out of graduate school and taken a job with the War on Poverty oversight agency in New York.
—Michael Bernick, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The maximum repayment period is capped at 20 years for those with only undergraduate loans and 25 years for those with any graduate school loans.
—Adriana Morga and Collin Binkley, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
Frank, eight years Robert’s junior, wept when his older brother left for graduate school in Europe.
—Kc Cole, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024
Outside researchers said that type of culture is not uncommon at top institutions, where ambitious professors can lead sprawling laboratories with dozens of graduate students who are eager to please their superiors and who know publishing a splashy paper could rapidly advance their careers.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 26 Jan. 2024
Verb
After graduating middle school from Link Community Charter School in 2006, the rising star began playing football for nearby Malcolm X. Shabazz High School, according to his Link alumni speaker profile.
—Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
Jerry attended Texas Christian University and West Texas State University, graduating in 1951.
—Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2024
The additional time will allow researchers to more meaningfully analyze the policy's effects, including studying a full cohort of students who applied under the policy and graduated.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2024
The showcase provides an opportunity for the graduating cohort to premiere their short films to an audience of agency and studio representatives, as well as other artists from the creative community.
—Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Nicole grew up in Idaho, graduated from Idaho State University and Northwestern University with a master’s degree in journalism.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 5 Apr. 2024
Hunter Howell, 22 years old and freshly graduated with a degree in business administration from Elmhurst University in the Chicago suburbs, has submitted over 1,700 job applications.
—Bysasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
He was focused on graduating from high school and for the most part had stayed out of trouble, his mother said.
—Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Apr. 2024
The recognition comes during the 40th anniversary of Lee’s graduation from Tisch and the 20th anniversary of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music from which Love graduated in 2017.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
As a recent graduate student, the prospect of applying for jobs fills me with a great deal of anxiety, especially because of my struggles with stage fright and a tendency to stutter when faced with questions.
—Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Some graduates have gone on to earn master’s degrees.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
Johnson and McCollum are graduates of Texas’ red-dirt music scene, which has its own thriving concert scene, providing careers for such acts as Aaron Watson, Casey Donahew, Wade Bowen, The Randy Rogers Band and Bri Bagwell.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
Stanford University’s next president will be Jonathan Levin, an economist who currently serves as dean of the graduate business school and whose association with the university dates back to his undergraduate days in the 1990s.
—Stephanie Saul, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
The college graduate has an interest in film like his father.
—Emy Lacroix, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2024
Ken Fisher Fisher, a high school dropout turned college graduate, took $250 to start Fisher Investments.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
Last year, a hydrology professor was fatally shot on campus by a disgruntled former graduate student.
—Helen Rummel, The Arizona Republic, 2 Apr. 2024
Femi, a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama, starred in the shot put for the Crimson Tide, winning an SEC title.
—Jim Varsallone, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The same would apply for graduate students who began paying 25 years ago.
—Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024
The vast majority of answers were personal, with more than half mentioning job opportunities or problems with graduate school.
—Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Why are scientists leaving academic labs? Interestingly, the number of graduate students — those pursuing master’s degrees and PhDs — in biomedical fields has grown by 22% between 2018 and 2022, according to the NSF survey.
—Eva Rothenberg, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024
It is anticipated that the graduate students would live in or near Detroit — rather than Ann Arbor — with many of them taking residence in a planned 18-story, 261-unit residential tower to be built next to the UMCI.
—Detroit Free Press, 29 Mar. 2024
Inspired by President Johnson’s call to end poverty, Cove in 1965 had dropped out of graduate school and taken a job with the War on Poverty oversight agency in New York.
—Michael Bernick, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The maximum repayment period is capped at 20 years for those with only undergraduate loans and 25 years for those with any graduate school loans.
—Adriana Morga and Collin Binkley, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
Frank, eight years Robert’s junior, wept when his older brother left for graduate school in Europe.
—Kc Cole, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024
Outside researchers said that type of culture is not uncommon at top institutions, where ambitious professors can lead sprawling laboratories with dozens of graduate students who are eager to please their superiors and who know publishing a splashy paper could rapidly advance their careers.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 26 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'graduate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to graduate
Dictionary Entries Near graduate
Cite this Entry
“Graduate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graduate. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
graduate
1 of 3 noun
grad·u·ate
ˈgraj-(ə-)wət
-ə-ˌwāt
1
: a holder of an academic degree or diploma
2
: a graduated cup, cylinder, or flask for measuring
graduate
2 of 3 adjective1
: holding an academic degree or diploma
2
: of or relating to studies beyond the bachelor's degree
graduate
3 of 3 verb
grad·u·ate
ˈgraj-ə-ˌwāt
graduated; graduating
1
: to grant or receive an academic degree or diploma
2
: to divide into grades, classes, or intervals
graduated thermometer
Medical Definition
graduate
1 of 2 noun
grad·u·ate
ˈgraj-(ə-)wət
-ə-ˌwāt
-ə-ˌwāt
: a graduated cup, cylinder, or flask for measuring
graduate
2 of 2 transitive verb
grad·u·ate
ˈgraj-ə-ˌwāt
graduated; graduating
: to mark with degrees of measurement
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