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graduate

2 antonyms and opposites of graduate, grouped by meaning.

Noun — A person who has completed a degree or course of study at a school, college, or university.

Antonyms

student drop-out

How to use graduate

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

graduate from graduate school recent graduate graduate to something harder

Etymology

From Medieval Latin graduatus ("having taken a degree"), from gradus ("step, degree").

Full origin of graduate →

Frequently asked questions

What does “graduate” mean?

The word “graduate” means a person who has completed a degree or course of study at a school, college, or university. In plain terms, someone who has finished a course of study, or the act of finishing one — also used for moving up to something harder or more advanced.

How do you pronounce “graduate”?

“Graduate” is pronounced GRAD-zhoo-uht (/ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuɪt/ in IPA).

How do you use “graduate” in a sentence?

Here is “graduate” used in a sentence: “She's a graduate of Oxford University.”

What is the opposite of “graduate”?

The opposite of “graduate” — its antonyms — are student and drop-out.

What part of speech is “graduate”?

Depending on how it is used, “graduate” can be a noun, a verb and an adjective.

Where does the word “graduate” come from?

The word “graduate” comes from Medieval Latin. From Medieval Latin graduatus ("having taken a degree"), from gradus ("step, degree").

Is “graduate” a common word?

“Graduate” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

How many meanings does “graduate” have?

“Graduate” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person who has completed a degree or course of study at a school, college, or university.

What is the difference between a graduate and an undergraduate?

An undergraduate is a student still working toward a first degree and has not finished yet. A graduate has completed that degree and holds the qualification. In everyday use, 'graduate' can also mean someone doing advanced study after a first degree, especially in American English, where 'graduate school' follows the undergraduate years.

What is the difference between a graduate and an alumnus?

A graduate is someone who has completed a degree or course. An alumnus, or alumna, is a former student of a particular institution; you are an alumnus of the school you attended, whether or not you finished. So every graduate is usually an alumnus, but not every alumnus is a graduate.

Is 'graduate' a noun or a verb?

It is both, with a slight shift in stress. As a noun, a graduate is the person who has earned the qualification. As a verb, to graduate means to complete your studies and receive that qualification. There is also an unrelated verb sense: to graduate a scale means to mark it in measured steps.

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Synonyms and antonyms from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.