Added 9 October 2026
graduate
/ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuət/ noun
In Latin: graduatus, graduata Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about graduate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A person who is recognized as having completed any of various levels of education.
If the government wants graduates to stay in the country, they should offer more incentives.
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A person who is recognized by a university as having completed the requirements of a degree studied at the institution.
If the government wants graduates to stay in the country, they should offer more incentives.
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A person who is recognized by a high school as having completed the requirements of a course of study at the school.
If the school board wants a higher percentage of students to become graduates, they should improve their remedial help for underachieving students.
adjective
verb
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To be recognized by a school or university as having completed the requirements of a degree studied at the institution.
The man graduated in 1967.
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To be certified as having earned a degree from; to graduate from (an institution).
Trisha graduated college.
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To certify (a student) as having earned a degree
Indiana University graduated the student.
Origin
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).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)