graduate
/ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuɪt/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.50 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A person who is recognized as having completed any of various levels of education.
Canadian usage; American usage
adj
adj
adj
relating to an academic degree
verb
To be recognized by a school or university as having completed the requirements of a degree studied at the institution.
Intransitive verb
verb
To be certified as having earned a degree from; to graduate from (an institution).
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "If the government wants graduates to stay in the country, they should offer more incentives."
- "If the school board wants a higher percentage of students to become graduates, they should improve their remedial help for underachieving students."
- "The man graduated in 1967."
- "Trisha graduated from college."
- "After graduating from Princeton University, he earned a law degree in Canada, then worked as an environmental lawyer in Israel before settling on the south side of Youngstown."
- "Trisha graduated college."
Etymology
From Middle English graduat(e) (“(noun) a graduate of a university; (adjective) graduate, having graduated”, also used as the past participle of graduaten (“to graduate”)), borrowed from Medieval Latin graduātus (“graduated, graduate”), perfect passive participle of graduō (“to graduate”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from gradus (“step”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). The noun is originally derived within Latin from the adjective via substantivization, see -ate (noun-forming suffix). Sense 10 of the verb, relating to Japanese entertainment, is a semantic loan from Japanese 卒業 (sotsugyō).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: graduat, graduātus, graduaten
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuɪt/
- British English: /ˈɡɹædjueɪt/
Usage
- Canadian usage
- American usage
- Intransitive verb
- Transitive verb
Inflected Forms
graduates (plural)
more graduate (comparative)
most graduate (superlative)
graduates (present, singular)
graduating (participle, present)
graduated (participle, past)
graduated (past)