graduation

noun

grad·​u·​a·​tion ˌgra-jə-ˈwā-shən 

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

b

: commencement

3

: arrangement in degrees or ranks

Synonyms of graduation

• ladder
• hierarchy
• ranking
• scale
• series

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

Add your college/university and graduation year to your rewards profile. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026

The suspect in a shooting at a high school graduation ceremony in Fairfield will face further arraignment on Wednesday, the Solano County District Attorney's Office said. — Jessica Baltaxe, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

After graduation, Roney coached with the Raleigh Swimming Association before becoming director of operations and an assistant coach for the Wolfpack swimming program. — Chip Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 11 Aug. 2026

Upon graduation, Aronow began interning at several high-profile companies including the Recording Academy, Geffen Records, and Mom + Pop Music, followed by gigs in digital marketing, event planning, and music supervision. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for graduation

• ablation
• aeration
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation

Kids Definition

graduation

noun

grad·​u·​a·​tion ˌgraj-ə-ˈwā-shən 

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