graph

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈgraf 

1

: a diagram (such as a series of one or more points, lines, line segments, curves, or areas) that represents the variation of a variable in comparison with that of one or more other variables

2

: the collection of all points whose coordinates satisfy a given relation (such as a function)

3

: a collection of vertices and edges that join pairs of vertices

graph

2 of 4

verb

graphed; graphing; graphs

transitive verb

1

: to represent by a graph

2

: to plot on a graph

graph

3 of 4

noun (2)

1

: a written or printed representation of a basic unit of speech (such as a phoneme or syllable)

especially : grapheme sense 1

2

: a single occurrence of a letter of an alphabet in any of its various shapes

-graph

4 of 4

noun combining form

1

: something written or drawn

monograph

2

[French -graphe, from Late Latin -graphus] : instrument for making or transmitting records or images

chronograph

Examples of graph in a Sentence

Verb

Students were asked to graph each equation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The figures are from the weather service’s hourly forecast graph for Miami International Airport. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 18 May 2024

The claim: National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act linked to increase in autism rates A May 11 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a graph that depicts a decades-long rise in the rate of autism. —Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 17 May 2024

There are so few Indigenous physicians in the United States — just 0.3% of doctors — that their numbers barely show up in charts and graphs depicting the diversity of the medical workforce. —Usha Lee McFarling, STAT, 16 May 2024

Takayuki Kosaka, the course instructor, displayed a graph showing the time invested at home by a typical mother and father during the first 100 days of an infant’s life. —Kiuko Notoya, New York Times, 7 May 2024

This nibbling process created an independent set using a relatively small portion of the original graph. —Quanta Magazine, 30 Apr. 2024

Every data point on the graph corresponds to a single subject that the researchers viewed, according to Scientific American. —USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024

Pay particular attention to external reviews about a brand, including Google’s knowledge graph about brands and authors, additional relevance of social presence, and the diminishing importance of low-authority, low-relevance links. —David Einstein, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

The red line in the graph above shows the evolution of Earth's average surface air temperature for the year so far. —Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024

Verb

Even 15 years after that change—and a March 2024 global rebranding that returned the white center to its original squiggly shape—the 2008 design document circulates around social media, prompting viral TikToks, do-it-yourself recreations on graphing calculators, and eliciting genuine shock. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 19 May 2024

There are also passages that feel more clinical: simulations of the laboratory, with analytical diagrams that graph the precise dye content of yellow dresses, and crystals to sniff from round-bottom flasks. —Jason Farago, New York Times, 9 May 2024

The reading passages are much shorter, and an online graphing calculator is built into the application for the math section, which some see as a way to level the playing field for low-income students. —Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024

This equation defines a curve that can be graphed on the plane, as shown below. —Lyndie Chiou, Quanta Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024

The reading passages will be much shorter, and test-takers will now be able to use an online graphing calculator for the entire math section of the exam. —Dana Goldstein, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024

Indianapolis crime:Suspect in Target theft had graphing calculators in his car. —Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Feb. 2024

Which, for the purpose of a connectome, means each connection must somehow be isolated, recognized, and graphed. —IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2024

For example, one recent paper on high-temperature superconductivity was pulled because the researcher couldn't explain the mathematical transformations that were performed on data before it being graphed—the graph itself only appeared once in the paper. —John Timmer, Ars Technica, 4 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

short for graphic formula

Noun (2)

probably from -graph

Noun combining form

Latin -graphum, from Greek -graphon, from neuter of -graphos written, from graphein to write — more at carve

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1898, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1933, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing graph

• bar graph
• circle graph
• graph paper
• graph theory
• line graph

Kids Definition

graph

1 of 3 noun

ˈgraf 

1

: the collection of all the points whose coordinates are a solution to an equation

the graph of y = x²

2

: a diagram that shows (as by dots or lines) the change in one variable in comparison with that of one or more other variables

a graph of population growth

graph

2 of 3 verb

: to represent by or plot on a graph

graph each equation

-graph

3 of 3 noun combining form

ˌgraf

: something written or drawn

homograph

Etymology

Noun combining form

derived from Greek -graphon "something written," from -graphos "written," from graphein "to write" — related to graffito, -gram

Medical Definition

graph

1 of 2 noun

ˈgraf 

: a diagram (as a series of one or more points, lines, line segments, curves, or areas) that represents the variation of a variable in comparison with that of one or more other variables

graphic

ˈgraf-ik 

adjective

graph

2 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to represent by a graph

2

: to plot on a graph