grade inflation
Americannoun
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the awarding of higher grades than students deserve either to maintain a school's academic reputation or as a result of diminished teacher expectations.
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a rise in the average grade given to students.
noun
Etymology
Origin of grade inflation
First recorded in 1980–85
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.
The shift at Michigan, among the nation’s largest and best-known public universities, comes as schools wrestle with grade inflation and the need for remedial instruction for freshmen ill-prepared for college-level classes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
At the time, some faculty warned the move would make it harder to assess applicants, especially alongside rampant high-school grade inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
While emotional-support animals may provide a service, the promotion of pets to emotional-support status appears as prevalent as grade inflation in today’s colleges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
Princeton and Yale are also investigating grade inflation on their campuses.
From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026
AI is accelerating grade inflation, research indicates, and making it harder for employers to assess new college graduates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
Definitions 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.
