graduation

American  

[graj-oo-ey-shuhn] / ˌgrædʒ uˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

• graduations
  plural

1. an act of graduating; the state of being graduated.

2. the ceremony of conferring degrees or diplomas, as at a college or school.

3. arrangement in degrees, levels, or ranks.

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graduation British  

/ ˌɡrædjʊˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of graduating or the state of being graduated

2. the ceremony at which school or college degrees and diplomas are conferred

3. a mark or division or all the marks or divisions that indicate measure on an instrument or vessel

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nongraduation
  noun
• pregraduation
  noun
• postgraduation
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• graduations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of graduation

1375–1425; late Middle English graduacion < Medieval Latin graduātiōn- (stem of graduātiō ). See graduate, -ion

Explanation

Graduation happens when you successfully complete an academic program, like high school or college. Then you go to a graduation ceremony. Scientists might talk about the graduation lines on beakers and rulers that mark out units of measurement. But when most people hear this word, they think about finishing school. Students and their families celebrate graduation from high school, college, training programs, and even kindergarten. At graduation ceremonies, people often wear funny tasseled hats and long robes, then walk up one by one to get an official diploma or certificate.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

graduation graduations

“For me, graduation is very important. It’s emotional to see my freshmen become seniors and graduate.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

That fee, should it be finalized, would force most international students to leave the country after graduation, rather than building a career in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

The government has proposed fees for obtaining H-1B work visas and fees for international students looking to work in the U.S. after graduation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

The school will issue qualifications confirming a machine's ability to do a specific role -- "much like a human's graduation certificate", said Zhao.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

“It’s just a graduation thing. I already know I can't go,” I say dismissively.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

But he said that as a large buyer of the gas, the company had wider access to suppliers, adding that Dollar Tree already had sufficient balloon supplies for Mother’s Day and spring student graduations.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 30, 2026

I’m grateful to everyone who reads and shares this tradition, through all your family games, neighborhood feuds, sprained ankles, surgically-repaired shoulders, weddings, graduations, funerals, babies and at least three confused Aaron Rodgers franchises.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 26, 2025

At holidays or graduations or milestone birthdays, we’d joke about phantom hunger pangs, gesturing to the empty spot where the foil tray should’ve been.

From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2025

Ms Gray has been appointed a pro-chancellor at QUB, so will attend ceremonies like graduations too.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2025

She has big plans for the younger ones: graduations, proms, college, professions.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

• convocation