graduation

noun

grad·​u·​a·​tion ˌgra-jə-ˈwā-shən How to pronounce graduation (audio)
1
: a mark on an instrument or vessel indicating degrees or quantity
also : these marks
2
a
: the award or acceptance of an academic degree or diploma
3
: arrangement in degrees or ranks

Examples of graduation in a Sentence

He joined the navy after graduation. We had a party to celebrate her graduation from high school. They took lots of pictures at their son's graduation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The tornado hit on high school graduation day, and the school happened to also be destroyed by the storm. Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 20 Mar. 2025 This personalized gift comes stamped with your grad’s name, alma mater, and graduation year, all centered around a portrait of their campus. Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 20 Mar. 2025 Sports High School Sports Many teams suffered heavy graduation losses of Howard County’s best players PUBLISHED: March 18, 2025 at 7:00 AM EDT Only four of last season's first team All-Howard County baseball selections return for 2025, leaving opportunities for new stars to rise. Jacob Steinberg, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2025 The commendable rank is given to schools that have no underperforming student groups, a graduation rank higher than 67% but whose performance is not in the top 10% in the state. Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for graduation

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of graduation was in 1594

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Graduation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graduation. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

graduation

noun
grad·​u·​a·​tion ˌgraj-ə-ˈwā-shən How to pronounce graduation (audio)
1
: a mark or the marks on an instrument or container indicating degrees or quantity
2
a
: an act or process of graduating
b
: the ceremony marking the completion by a student of a course of study at a school or college : commencement
3
: arrangement in degrees or ranks

More from Merriam-Webster on graduation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!