noun
graduate
GRAD-zhoo-uht
noun
1
A person who has completed a degree or course of study at a school, college, or university.
"She's a graduate of Oxford University."
"He's a recent high school graduate starting college in the fall."
verb
1
To complete a degree or course of study and receive recognition for it.
"She graduated from law school last spring."
"He plans to graduate next year with a degree in engineering."
2
To gradually move up to something more advanced.
"After learning to swim in the shallow end, she graduated to the deep end."
adjective
1
Relating to study beyond an undergraduate degree.
"He's applying to graduate school to study psychology."
How to Use Graduate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone who has finished a course of study, or the act of finishing one — also used for moving up to something harder or more advanced.
UK vs US
In UK English, "graduate" mainly refers to university completion; US English also uses it for finishing high school.
Common pairings
graduate from
graduate school
recent graduate
graduate to something harder
Word Forms
more graduate comparative, graduated past tense, graduates plural, graduates singular, most graduate superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “graduate”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She's a _____ of Oxford University.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin graduatus ("having taken a degree"), from gradus ("step, degree").