grade inflation

noun

: a rise in the average grade assigned to students
especially : the assigning of grades higher than previously assigned for given levels of achievement

Examples of grade inflation in a Sentence

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.
By virtue of those changes, digitizing college life has led to grade inflation, too. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025 The ivory tower is losing luster by the second, after campuses around the country proved to be hotbeds of antisemitism, grade inflation has spiked rather than dissipated, and outrageous tuitions fund outlandish administrative salaries. Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025 More than half of the grades handed out at Harvard College are A’s, an increase from decades past even as school officials have sounded the alarm for years about rampant grade inflation. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025 This is especially true in the era of grade inflation, where many schools offer more GPA points for honors and AP courses. Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grade inflation

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grade inflation was in 1975

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grade inflation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grade%20inflation. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

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!