Definition of "graduate" in English

noun

1. A person who is recognized by a university as having completed the requirements of a degree studied at the institution.

   • If the government wants graduates to stay in the country they should offer more incentives.

2. (US, Canada) A person who is recognized by a high school as having completed the requirements of a course of study at the school.

3. (Philippines) A person who is recognized as having completed any level of education.

4. A graduated (marked) cup or other container, thus fit for measuring.

adjective

1. graduated, arranged by degrees

2. holding an academic degree

3. relating to an academic degree

verb

1. (intransitive, ergative) To be recognized by a school or university as having completed the requirements of a degree studied at the institution.

   • The man graduated in 1967.
   • Trisha graduated from college.

2. (transitive, proscribed) To be certified as having earned a degree from; to graduate from (an institution).

   • Trisha graduated college.

3. (transitive) To certify (a student) as having earned a degree

   • Indiana University graduated the student.
   • The college graduated him as soon as he was no longer eligible to play under NCAA rules.

4. (transitive) To mark (something) with degrees; to divide into regular steps or intervals, as the scale of a thermometer, a scheme of punishment or rewards, etc.

5. (intransitive) To change gradually.

   • sandstone which graduates into gneiss; carnelian sometimes graduates into quartz

6. To prepare gradually; to arrange, temper, or modify by degrees or to a certain degree; to determine the degrees of.

   • to graduate the heat of an oven

7. (chemistry) To bring to a certain degree of consistency, by evaporation, as a fluid.

8. (intransitive) To taper, as the tail of certain birds.

9. (transitive, software engineering) To approve (a feature) for general release.

   • We have graduated the new machine-learning features and will roll them out tomorrow.

10. (intransitive, Japanese entertainment) Of an idol: to exit a group; or of a virtual YouTuber, to leave a management agency; usually accompanied with "graduation ceremony" send-offs, increased focus on the leaving member, and the like.