SKIP TO CONTENT

graduation

/ˈgrædʒəˌweɪʃən/
/grædʒuˈeɪʃən/
IPA guide

Other forms: graduations

Graduation happens when you successfully complete an academic program, like high school or college. Then you go to a graduation ceremony.

Scientists might talk about the graduation lines on beakers and rulers that mark out units of measurement. But when most people hear this word, they think about finishing school. Students and their families celebrate graduation from high school, college, training programs, and even kindergarten. At graduation ceremonies, people often wear funny tasseled hats and long robes, then walk up one by one to get an official diploma or certificate.

Definitions of graduation
  1. noun
    the successful completion of a program of study
    see moresee less
    type of:
    closing, completion, culmination, mop up, windup
    a concluding action
  2. noun
    an academic exercise in which diplomas are conferred
    see moresee less
    type of:
    exercise
    (usually plural) a ceremony that involves processions and speeches
  3. noun
    a line (as on a vessel or ruler) that marks a measurement
    “the ruler had 16 graduations per inch”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    line
    a mark that is long relative to its width
  4. noun
    the act of arranging in grades
    synonyms: gradation
    see moresee less
    types:
    blending, shading
    a gradation involving small or imperceptible differences between grades
    type of:
    quantification
    the act of discovering or expressing the quantity of something
Pronunciation
US
/ˈgrædʒəˌweɪʃən/
UK
/grædʒuˈeɪʃən/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘graduation'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family