undergraduate

American  

[uhn-der-graj-oo-it, -eyt] / ˌʌn dərˈgrædʒ u ɪt, -ˌeɪt /

noun

1. a student in a university or college who has not received a first, especially a bachelor's, degree.

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adjective

1. having the standing of an undergraduate.

2. of, for, pertaining to, or characteristic of undergraduates.

undergraduate British  

/ ˌʌndəˈɡrædjʊɪt /

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: undergrad.  a person studying in a university for a first degree

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Other Word Forms

• nonundergraduate noun
• undergraduateship noun

Etymology

Origin of undergraduate

First recorded in 1620–30; under- + graduate

Compare meaning

How does undergraduate compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• undergraduate vs. postgraduate

Example Sentences

Fifty-seven percent of college undergraduates and 61% of those seeking advanced degrees are women.

From The Wall Street Journal

One professor at University of Lisbon who taught Neves Valente as an undergraduate told Publico, a newspaper in Lisbon, that he had a confrontational personality in class.

From The Wall Street Journal

She began glassblowing as an undergraduate and has continued the practice throughout her career.

From Science Daily

Many universities now offer "ab initio" undergraduate courses for languages, meaning you can start as a complete beginner - something Prof Koglbauer says has bolstered uptake.

From BBC

More than 1 million people in their 40s are enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• freshman
• junior
• senior
• sophomore
• student