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.
Co-founders and partners Lena Martin and Mandolin Burns graduated from CalArts, and in their search for a place to live, they found a loft in the Arts District where they could potentially perform.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026
He said his dad was born in Sierra Leone on 1 October 1944, graduated in law from the University of Oxford and trained in medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London.
From BBC • Jun. 27, 2026
She fit several of the committee’s criteria: she has management experience and roots in the district, having graduated from the University of Florida.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
His mother graduated in 1994 and flew helicopter missions in the Middle East.
From Slate • Jun. 24, 2026
“I graduated early. I explained that to you already, Hank.”
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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.
