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.
That was her plan when she graduated from college in 2019.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Abbatiello graduated in 2020 from Chaminade High School, a Roman Catholic all-boys school in Mineola where tuition is almost $20,000 a year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Dunn, who graduated this year, said the research project had been "rewarding and positive".
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
When I graduated from college, I aspired to be a war correspondent and report on the humanitarian crises shaping our time.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026
Farmer had graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed his residency in internal medicine there.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
