I. ˈgraj(ə)wə̇]t, -jəˌwā], usu ]d.+V noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English graduat, from Medieval Latin graduatus, from past participle of graduare
1.
a. : one that has received an academic degree, a diploma, or a certificate
a college graduate
a high school graduate
also : a graduate student
in all courses open to graduates only — University of Minnesota Bulletin
b. : one who has qualified in a particular field or for a particular position
the expert planner, often an economist or a graduate of some branch of social service — M.B.Smith
c. : one who has passed through a significant or unusual and especially powerful experience often associated with an institution
a graduate of the Warsaw ghetto
a reformatory graduate
2. : a graduated cup, cylinder, or flask
II. adjective
Etymology: Middle English graduat, from Medieval Latin graduatus, past participle of graduare
1.
a. : holding an academic or professional degree, diploma, or certificate
a graduate physician
a graduate economist
a graduate pilot
b. : of, relating to, or engaged in studies that go beyond the first or bachelor's degree and are usually specialized or professional
graduate student
graduate course
2. : arranged by degrees : graduated
III. -jəˌwāt, usu -ād.+V verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Medieval Latin graduatus, past participle of graduare, from Latin gradus step, degree — more at grade
transitive verb
1.
a. : to grant an academic or professional degree, diploma, or certificate to
expect to graduate approximately 380,000 this year — A.W.Griswold
: dismiss with such a degree, diploma, or certificate
graduated from the university with honors
b. : to grant the right to go or concede the completion of the qualifications for going (as from an elementary school) at the end of the course or last grade
many citizens were never graduated from high school
c. : to move up to the next school grade
graduate the boy from the third to the fourth grade
2. : to qualify as proficient or learned (as in a vice or other practice)
3.
a. : to mark with degrees (as the scale of a thermometer)
b. : to divide into or arrange in regular or proportional steps, grades, gradations, or intervals (as punishments in relation to crimes)
4. obsolete : temper , modify : improve the grade of
5. : to concentrate (a liquid) by graduation
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to receive from a university, college, or school an academic degree, a diploma, or a certificate denoting fulfillment of requirements leading to it : become a graduate
graduate from the university
graduate from divinity school
graduate with honors
b. : to qualify in a particular field or for a particular position (as after special training or experience)
graduated as a seaman
graduated as a chef
c. : to pass from one stage of experience, proficiency, or prestige to or into another usually higher
began as a boy to gather stamps, coins and butterflies, then graduated into a connoisseur of books in general — G.F.Whicher
from the comics they soon graduate to Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe — Eamon Ryan
2. : to pass by degrees : change gradually : shade off
• grad·u·a·tor -ād.ə(r), -ātə-\ noun -s