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grade inflation

American

noun

Education.

the awarding of higher grades than students deserve either to maintain a school's academic reputation or as a result of diminished teacher expectations.
a rise in the average grade given to students.

grade inflation British

noun

an apparently continual increase in numbers of students attaining high examination grades, or the practice of awarding grades in this way

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of grade inflation

First recorded in 1980–85

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:

grade inflation

Dartmouth has reported median grades since 1994, and it still experienced grade inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

While emotional-support animals may provide a service, the promotion of pets to emotional-support status appears as prevalent as grade inflation in today’s colleges.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

Princeton and Yale are also investigating grade inflation on their campuses.

From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026

Faculty voted to approve the A-cap as part of a yearslong effort to curb grade inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

Echoing moves by Harvard, the committee also recommends that Yale curb grade inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023