graduate

grad•u•ate

n., adj. [[t]ˈgrædʒ u ɪt, -ˌeɪt[/t]] v. [[t]-ˌeɪt[/t]] n. adj. v. -at•ed, -at•ing

1) edu a person who has received a degree or diploma on completing a course of study at a university, college, or school

2) edu a student who holds the bachelor's or the first professional degree and is studying for an advanced degree

3) wam a cylindrical or tapering graduated container, used for measuring

4) edu of, pertaining to, or involved in academic study beyond the bachelor's degree:

a graduate student[/ex]

5) cvb edu having an academic degree or diploma

6) edu to receive a degree or diploma on completing a course of study:

to graduate from college[/ex]

7) to pass by degrees; change gradually

8) edu to confer a degree upon or grant a diploma to

9) edu inf use to receive a degree or diploma from:

to graduate college[/ex]

10) to arrange in grades or gradations; establish gradation in

11) wam to divide into or mark with degrees or other divisions, as the scale of a thermometer

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Etymology: 1375–1425; < ML graduārī to grade, graduate, der. of L gradus grade grad′u•a`tor, n. usage: graduate followed by from is the most common construction today: to graduate from Yale. The passive form, once considered to be the only correct pattern, occurs infrequently today: to be graduated from Yale. Although condemned by some as nonstandard, the use of graduate as a transitive verb meaning “to receive a degree or diploma from” is increasing in both speech and writing: to graduate high school.