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.
However: Because Body Dada was founded by Thompson, a dancer who graduated from Cal Arts and performed with the L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
In the 23 years since he graduated from Norfolk Collegiate High School, Truelove has accumulated more than 40 charges and citations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
The bill would also establish a graduated response framework, allowing regulators to impose measures based on the severity of a threat, including throttling a model’s capabilities, limiting access, suspending operations or ordering a complete shutdown.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
So much so that Chelsea's first-team squad in the new season could contain twice as many players who graduated from City's academy as have come through their own system.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Instead, soon after he graduated, Vesalius went to Italy, where he enrolled as a graduate student at the University of Padua at the end of 1537.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
