graduation

American  

[graj-oo-ay-shuhn] / ˌgrædʒ uˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

• graduations
  plural

1. an act of graduating; the state of being graduated.

2. the ceremony of conferring degrees or diplomas, as at a college or school.

3. arrangement in degrees, levels, or ranks.

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graduation British  

/ ˌɡrædjʊˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of graduating or the state of being graduated

2. the ceremony at which school or college degrees and diplomas are conferred

3. a mark or division or all the marks or divisions that indicate measure on an instrument or vessel

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nongraduation
  noun
• pregraduation
  noun
• postgraduation
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• graduations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of graduation

1375–1425; late Middle English graduacion < Medieval Latin graduātiōn- (stem of graduātiō ). See graduate, -ion

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

graduation graduations

When Stupnikov visited Omsk with Liza after his graduation, Tatiana and her son spent hours on the phone with human-rights lawyers and nonprofit groups that helped Russian soldiers desert.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Xavier, a 17-year-old senior, was recalled by his father as a kind, shy, teenager who enjoyed gaming and was looking forward to graduation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

But he didn’t receive an offer to return after graduation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

The fact the Golden Cougars have kept winning after the graduation of All-City quarterback Diego Montes shows how Cassidy has built the next-up mentality.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

For one thing, I’d been fifteen since winter and still hadn’t passed the eighth-grade graduation exam.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Bouquets of banknotes or cakes decorated with currency are often ordered as gifts for weddings, birthdays, graduations and other celebrations.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

But he said that as a large buyer of the gas, the company had wider access to suppliers, adding that Dollar Tree already had sufficient balloon supplies for Mother’s Day and spring student graduations.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 30, 2026

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

For some daughters, the night marked the first time they’d danced with their father, a bittersweet reminder of lost birthdays, prom-nights and graduations.

From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2025

She shoots all kinds of parties and events—weddings, bar mitzvahs, quinceaneras, graduations, anniversaries, sweet sixteens.

From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner

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Related Words

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