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

The long deployment has had a ripple effect on families who expected relatives to be home for weddings, graduations and other milestones. — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026

Their graduation rate of 98% is well above the state median, the report said. — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026

Outside of the fair, members have been arrested in connection to shootings at the 2025 Burnsville High School graduation and the Metro State graduation earlier this year, according to the lawsuits. — Ashley Grams, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

In the 2024-2025 school year, the university’s freshman four-year graduation rate reached 74% while the transfer two-year rate surpassed 66%. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 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