graduation
Americannoun
-
graduations
plural
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an act of graduating; the state of being graduated.
-
the ceremony of conferring degrees or diplomas, as at a college or school.
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arrangement in degrees, levels, or ranks.
noun
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the act of graduating or the state of being graduated
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the ceremony at which school or college degrees and diplomas are conferred
-
a mark or division or all the marks or divisions that indicate measure on an instrument or vessel
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of graduation
1375–1425; late Middle English graduacion < Medieval Latin graduātiōn- (stem of graduātiō ). See graduate, -ion
Explanation
Graduation happens when you successfully complete an academic program, like high school or college. Then you go to a graduation ceremony. Scientists might talk about the graduation lines on beakers and rulers that mark out units of measurement. But when most people hear this word, they think about finishing school. Students and their families celebrate graduation from high school, college, training programs, and even kindergarten. At graduation ceremonies, people often wear funny tasseled hats and long robes, then walk up one by one to get an official diploma or certificate.
Vocabulary lists containing graduation
100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
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Vocabulary from poems about communication
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"Hanging Fire"
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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.
See Examples For:
The program also doesn’t appear to improve college graduation rates or lifetime earnings, according to a 2019 study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
He had hoped to become a political or policy analyst after graduation, but fierce competition in the entry-level job market has forced him to broaden his search to areas like human resources.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
The judge asked the bailiff to deliver him the graduation certificate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
In May, Crystal River’s Facebook page posted a photo of Salute posing between two teens at a local high school graduation ceremony.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
Afterward, Mom gives me her credit card and says she knows I need clothes, so she wants me to order some new things as a graduation present.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Several graduations this spring featured tone-deaf commencement speeches praising artificial intelligence, which the crowds greeted with a symphony of boos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
At several graduations around the country this month, students booed commencement speakers, including ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt, as they discussed AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
There are shots of graduations, holidays - typical reminders of special moments and milestones.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025
At holidays or graduations or milestone birthdays, we’d joke about phantom hunger pangs, gesturing to the empty spot where the foil tray should’ve been.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2025
I ask, because we’ve been invited to parties before—birthdays, weddings, funerals, graduations.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
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.
