undergraduate
Americannoun
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undergraduates
plural
adjective
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having the standing of an undergraduate.
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of, for, pertaining to, or characteristic of undergraduates.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of undergraduate
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How does undergraduate compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An undergraduate is a college or university student who's not a graduate student. After high school, you can become an undergraduate. Undergraduates are students of universities and colleges: they've graduated from high school and have been accepted to college, but they haven't graduated yet. If the under in undergraduate seems confusing, that's because there are also graduate students, students who have a college degree but are no longer undergraduates and are pursuing an advanced degree, like a Master's or Ph.D. Lots of people say being an undergraduate was one of the best times of their lives: it's an exciting thing to be.
Vocabulary lists containing undergraduate
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:
Meanwhile a mobile app developed by an undergraduate to direct people to the shadiest walking paths has gained traction online, particularly among students.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
I was a somewhat overweight graduate of some of America’s finest undergraduate and medical teaching programs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
At the undergraduate level, mental and social health programs are expected to fail at very low rates nationwide, according to HEA.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
University of Southern California undergraduate student Anyi Tan contributed to this research.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Then his patron helped him enter the University of Idaho as an undergraduate, aiming toward a law degree.
From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston
Plus, dozens of universities now offer real-estate degrees, minors or concentrations for undergraduates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
And yet, although a program like Sample Gates is an attractive resume line that provides unique experience among undergraduates, it isn’t necessarily a launching pad to help students secure jobs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
UC is outpacing that, and says it is on track to reach its goal of enrolling 217,000 California resident undergraduates by 2030.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
In 2023, Plan 2 loans were replaced for undergraduates in England with Plan 5 loans.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
There is the usual academic talk around the table, versions of the same conversation he can’t participate in, concerning conferences, job listings, ungrateful undergraduates, proposal deadlines.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
