grader

American

[grey-der] / ˈgreɪ dər /

noun

a person or thing that grades.
a pupil of a specified grade at school.

a fourth grader.
a machine for grading.

grader British

/ ˈɡreɪdə /

noun

a person or thing that grades
a machine, either self-powered or towed by a tractor, that levels earth, rubble, etc, as in road construction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of grader

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; grade + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A test grader saw her work outsourced to India.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

But perhaps the biggest impediment is that the test to become a grader isn’t getting any easier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

She’s been pushing for San Marcos Unified to change its policies and is homeschooling her first grader in the meantime.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

But Hegseth comes across more like the third grader reciting those lines after watching his favorite comic book movie for the umpteenth time.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026

Even Rukia Marshall looked like a sixth grader, and she wore a cloth on her head.

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023