degree

American  

[dih-gree] / dɪˈgri /

noun

• degrees
  plural

1. any of a series of steps or stages, as in a process or course of action; a point in any scale.

2. a stage or point in or as if in progression or retrogression.

   We followed the degrees of her recovery with joy.

   Synonyms:

   phase, level, grade, mark, step

3. a stage in a scale of intensity or amount.

   a high degree of mastery.

4. extent, measure, scope, or the like.

   To what degree will he cooperate?

5. a stage in a scale of rank or station; relative standing in society, business, etc..

   His uncouth behavior showed him to be a man of low degree.

6. Education. an academic title conferred by universities and colleges as an indication of the completion of a course of study, or as an honorary recognition of achievement.

7. a unit of measure, as of temperature or pressure, marked off on the scale of a measuring instrument.

   This thermometer shows a scale of degrees between only 20° and 40° C.

8. Geometry. the 360th part of a complete angle or turn, often represented by the sign °, as in 45°, which is read as 45 degrees.

9. the distinctive classification of a crime according to its gravity.

   murder in the first degree.

10. Grammar. one of the parallel formations of adjectives and adverbs used to express differences in quality, quantity, or intensity. In English, low and careful are the positive degree, lower and more careful are the comparative degree, lowest and most careful are the superlative degree.

11. Mathematics.

    1. the sum of the exponents of the variables in an algebraic term.

       x3 and 2x2y are terms of degree three.

    2. the term of highest degree of a given equation or polynomial.

       The expression 3x2y + y2 + 1 is of degree three.

    3. the exponent of the derivative of highest order appearing in a given differential equation.

12. Music. a tone or step of the scale.

13. Astrology. any of the 360 equal divisions of the ecliptic measured counterclockwise from the vernal equinox. Each of the 12 signs of the zodiac contains 30 degrees.

14. a certain distance or remove in the line of descent, determining the proximity of relationship.

    a cousin of the second degree.

15. Archaic. a line or point on the earth or the celestial sphere, as defined by degrees of latitude.

16. Obsolete. a step, as of a stair.

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idioms

1. by degrees, by easy stages; gradually.

   She grew angrier by degrees.

2. to a degree,

   1. to a considerable extent; exceedingly.

   2. to a small extent; somewhat.

      He is to a degree difficult to get along with.

degree British  

/ dɪˈɡriː /

noun

1. a stage in a scale of relative amount or intensity

   a high degree of competence

2. an academic award conferred by a university or college on successful completion of a course or as an honorary distinction ( honorary degree )

3. any of three categories of seriousness of a burn See burn 1

4. (in the US) any of the categories into which a crime is divided according to its seriousness

   first-degree murder

5. genealogy a step in a line of descent, used as a measure of the closeness of a blood relationship

6. grammar any of the forms of an adjective used to indicate relative amount or intensity: in English they are positive, comparative, and superlative

7. music any note of a diatonic scale relative to the other notes in that scale

   D is the second degree of the scale of C major

8.  °.  a unit of temperature on a specified scale See also Celsius scale Fahrenheit scale

   the normal body temperature of man is 36.8 degrees Celsius

9.  °.  a measure of angle equal to one three-hundred-and-sixtieth of the angle traced by one complete revolution of a line about one of its ends See also minute 1 second 2 Compare radian

10.  °. 

    1. a unit of latitude or longitude, divided into 60 minutes, used to define points on the earth's surface or on the celestial sphere

    2. a point or line defined by units of latitude and/or longitude

11.  °.  a unit on any of several scales of measurement, as for alcohol content or specific gravity

12. maths

    1. the highest power or the sum of the powers of any term in a polynomial or by itself

       x4 + x + 3 and xyz² are of the fourth degree

    2. the greatest power of the highest order derivative in a differential equation

13. obsolete a step; rung

14. archaic a stage in social status or rank

15. little by little; gradually

16. somewhat; rather

17. See frost

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degree Scientific  

/ dĭ-grē′ /

1. A unit division of a temperature scale.

2. 1. A unit for measuring an angle or an arc of a circle. One degree is 1/360 of the circumference of a circle.

   2. This unit used to measure latitude or longitude on the Earth's surface.

3. The greatest sum of the exponents of the variables in a term of a polynomial or polynomial equation. For example, x ³ + 2 xy + x is of the third degree.

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degree Cultural  

1. In geometry, a unit of measurement of angles, 1/360 of a circle. In physics, a unit of temperature (see Celsius, Fahrenheit (see also Fahrenheit), and Kelvin scale). A degree on the Fahrenheit scale is smaller than a degree on the Celsius or Kelvin scale. Degrees on the Celsius and Kelvin scales are the same size.

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degree More Idioms  

1. see by degrees; third degree; to some degree; to the nth degree.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• predegree
  noun
• degreed
  adjective
• degreeless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• degrees
  plural

Etymology

Origin of degree

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English degre, from Anglo-French, Old French, from unattested Vulgar Latin dēgradus; see de-, grade

Explanation

A unit of measurement, degree describes the level, intensity or seriousness of something. So that hot coffee may not have caused 3rd degree burns, but it still took a good degree of self-control not to scream when you sipped it. You could say there are many degrees of appropriate usage for the noun degree. In education, it's what you earn from a college or university after passing all the right courses. When it comes to temperature, you can put your degrees into Celsius or Fahrenheit. And if you're stuck in geometry class, you'll be spending lots of time talking about the 360 degrees in a circle or the 90 degrees in a right angle.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

degree degrees

“I have a master’s degree but I can’t afford to buy a house here,” Keeler, 37, said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

To get the raise she needs to take four master’s-level classes, in addition to the master’s degree in special education she already holds.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

Christopher received a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Limerick in Ireland as a U.S.-Ireland Alliance Scholar.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

The British experience offers lessons for the U.S., where students and families have also come to question the value of a four-year college degree.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

All polynomials of degree n—those that have a leading term of xn—split into n distinct terms.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

According to the researchers, an asteroid about 320 meters across striking Deimos at an angle of 45 degrees could have produced the size and shape of the depression now visible near the moon's south pole.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

The weather service is forecasting high temperatures of up to 108 degrees across the lower mountains and foothills and Cuyama Valley, according to the red flag warning, which goes into effect at 10 a.m.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

Temperatures during the summer months can exceed 100 degrees for weeks at a time.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

Today, more than 50% of students graduating with bachelor’s degrees have student loans averaging between $29,000 to $35,000.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Her grandmother says it’s eighty degrees there, and Fina pulls her sweater tighter around her, even though the oven is keeping the whole house toasty.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

Related Words

• class
• credit
• grade
• honor
• level
• magnitude
• point
• position
• qualification
• quality
• scope
• sort
• standard
• status
• strength