graph

¹ American  

[graf] / græf /

noun

1. a diagram representing a system of connections or interrelations among two or more things by a number of distinctive dots, lines, bars, etc.

2. Mathematics.

   1. a series of points, discrete or continuous, forming a curve or surface, each of which represents a value of a given function.

   2. Also called linear graph.  a network of lines connecting points.

3. a written symbol for an idea, a sound, or a linguistic expression.

4. Computers. a non-hierarchical data structure whose nodes store data elements and whose branches represent connections to other nodes in the structure.

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verb (used with object)

1. Mathematics. to draw (a curve) as representing a given function.

2. to represent by means of a graph.

graph- ² American  

1. variant of grapho- before a vowel.

   grapheme.

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-graph ³ American  

1. a combining form meaning “drawn,” “written” (lithograph; monograph ); specialized in meaning to indicate the instrument rather than the written product of the instrument (telegraph; phonograph ).

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graph ¹ British  

/ ɡrɑːf, ɡræf /

noun

1. Also called: chart.  a drawing depicting the relation between certain sets of numbers or quantities by means of a series of dots, lines, etc, plotted with reference to a set of axes See also bar graph

2. maths a drawing depicting a functional relation between two or three variables by means of a curve or surface containing only those points whose coordinates satisfy the relation

3. maths a structure represented by a diagram consisting of points (vertices) joined by lines (edges)

4. linguistics a symbol in a writing system not further subdivisible into other such symbols

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verb

1. (tr) to draw or represent in a graph

-graph ² British  

combining form

1. an instrument that writes or records

   telegraph

2. a writing, record, or drawing

   autograph

   lithograph

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graph Scientific  

/ grăf /

1. A diagram showing the relationship of quantities, especially such a diagram in which lines, bars, or proportional areas represent how one quantity depends on or changes with another.

2. A curve or line showing a mathematical function or equation, typically drawn in a Cartesian coordinate system. The graph of the function y = x ² is a parabola.

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Usage

What does -graph mean? The combining form -graph is used like a suffix meaning “drawn” or "written," often to denote a recording of something. It is also used in a technical sense to mean an instrument that produces a written product. It is often used in scientific and technical terms. The form -graph comes from Greek -graphos, meaning “drawn or written, one who draws or writes.”What are variants of -graph?While -graph doesn't have any variants, it is related to the forms -graphy, as in telegraphy, and -graphic, as in pictographic. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on -graphy and -graphic.

Related Words

See map.

Other Word Forms

• -graphic combining form
• -graphically combining form
• regraph verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of graph¹

First recorded in 1875–80; short for graphic formula; graphic

Origin of -graph³

< Greek -graphos (something) drawn or written, one who draws or writes. See grapho-

Explanation

A graph is a visual plotting of the relationship between two or more quantities, like a math map. To graph is to create such a chart. The noun graph came into use in the 1800s, when people got tired of saying graphic formula and decided to chop it down. A hundred years later, the verb form of graph was first recorded. Diagram and linear representation are two synonyms for the word. The dancer Martha Graham said, “Every dance is a kind of fever chart, a graph of the heart.” Here, she uses graph to say that dance is a visual representation of what’s in the heart.

Example Sentences

Armed only with a graph of the unemployment rate, one could do a pretty good job picking out historical recessions.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

The stock price is shown on the lower graph while the upper graph shows implied volatility.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

A context graph captures the sequence of decisions—the why.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

"TikTok's power lies in its content graph - an algorithm that learns from thousands of user signals to deliver hyper‑relevant, highly addictive videos," said Kelsey Chickering, principal analyst at Forrester.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

Badenhorst’s tenure, we hoped, would simply be a dip on the graph of the steady improvement of our conditions.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• chart