graduated
Americanadjective
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characterized by or arranged in degrees, especially successively, as according to height, depth, or difficulty.
a graduated series of lessons.
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marked with divisions or units of measurement.
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(of a bird's tail) having the longest feathers in the center, the others being successively shorter.
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(of a tax) increasing along with the taxable base.
a graduated income tax.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of graduated
Explanation
When something is graduated, it goes step-by-step or by degrees, such as a graduated income tax that has different tax rates for different levels of income. Fees for a fishing license might be graduated, depending on how big the fish you’re trying to catch is. If you're fishing for little porgies, the license might cost $3, but if you're going for a shark, the fee might be $50. A measuring cup is a graduated container — it has lines on the side that mark out divisions, in this case, ¼ cup, ½ cup, and so on.
Vocabulary lists containing graduated
100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
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Theodore Roosevelt on "New Nationalism" (1910)
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Scientific Investigation and Reasoning
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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.
In an open letter to colleagues last week, Lockhart said forcing O'Neill from office was the "only one credible option" and any kind of "graduated response" would be "insulting to those who have trusted us".
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
“It’s the only class I took at Harvard where people would call each other out for not having done the reading,” said Ellie Powell, a Hum Alum who graduated in 2025.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Bel, who graduated from Springfield High in May, had been fitted with an ankle monitor just before his freshman year of college.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026
Donis graduated with an undergraduate degree debt-free thanks in large part to Jackson’s teachings about scholarship options, she told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
This was a device known as a ‘compass’—a graduated metal instrument that could be used as a calculator.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
