undergraduate

[uhn-der-graj-oo-it, -eyt]

noun

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

adjective

1. having the standing of an undergraduate.

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

undergraduate

/ ˌʌndəˈɡrædjʊɪt /

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• undergraduateship noun
• nonundergraduate noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of undergraduate¹

First recorded in 1620–30; under- + graduate

Example Sentences

All final year undergraduate students in England were asked to fill out the survey, with 52,000 responding.

From BBC

Students taking a four-year undergraduate education degree in maths, and technology and design, will have their tuition fees paid for the duration of their course - about £5,000 a year or £20,000 in total.

From BBC

As an undergraduate, he studied mechanical engineering at the University of Khartoum and in 1984 earned a PhD in philosophy and strategic planning at the UK's Bradford University.

From BBC

The Justice Department asks for applicants’ standardized test scores, but UC does not require undergraduates to submit SAT or ACT scores.

From Los Angeles Times

The grant money paid for storage and upkeep of lab materials such as cells, as well as the costs for a staff of six that included undergraduate and graduate researchers.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• freshman 
• junior 
• senior 
• sophomore 
• student