graduate

noun

A person who is recognized by a university as having completed the requirements of a degree studied at the institution.

(US, Canada) A person who is recognized by a high school as having completed the requirements of a course of study at the school.

(Philippines) A person who is recognized as having completed any level of education.

A graduated (marked) cup or other container, thus fit for measuring.

verb

(intransitive, ergative) To be recognized by a school or university as having completed the requirements of a degree studied at the institution.

(transitive) To certify (a student) as having earned a degree

(transitive) To mark (something) with degrees; to divide into regular steps or intervals, as the scale of a thermometer, a scheme of punishment or rewards, etc.

(intransitive) To change gradually.

To prepare gradually; to arrange, temper, or modify by degrees or to a certain degree; to determine the degrees of.

(intransitive) To taper, as the tail of certain birds.

(transitive, software engineering) To approve (a feature) for general release.

(intransitive, Japanese entertainment) Of an idol: to exit a group; or of a virtual YouTuber, to leave a management agency; usually accompanied with "graduation ceremony" send-offs, increased focus on the leaving member, and the like.

(chemistry) To bring to a certain degree of consistency, by evaporation, as a fluid.

(transitive, proscribed) To be certified as having earned a degree from; to graduate from (an institution).

adjective

holding an academic degree

relating to an academic degree

graduated, arranged by degrees

Roots

gradusgrad- · Latin · step, degree

Synonyms for graduate

postgraduateadj gradn alumnusn alumnan undergraduaten alumnin alumnaen collegiateadj gradatev

Synonyms & related words for graduate

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of graduate — including postgraduate, grad, alumnus, alumna, undergraduate, alumni. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to graduate

Explore words related to graduate — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include graduand, undergrad, graduation, baccalaureate, college, precollege, diploma, doctoral. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for graduate

Common synonyms for graduate include postgraduate, grad, alumnus, alumna, undergraduate, alumni, alumnae, collegiate — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does graduate come from?

The word graduate breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root grad-, from Latin gradus (“step, degree”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.