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graduation

noun

grad·​u·​a·​tion ˌgra-jə-ˈwā-shən How to pronounce graduation (audio)
Synonyms of graduationnext
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
3
: arrangement in degrees or ranks

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
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.
During a two-week stretch over the summer, a 15-year-old was killed in a mall shooting, while two high-school graduation ceremonies left a 49-year-old father with a head wound and a 19-year-old man injured. Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025 Fresh off of high school graduation earlier this year, Ferguson evolved her red carpet style with the help of stylist Enrique Melendez, longtime collaborator of Jenna Ortega. Emily Mercer, Footwear News, 7 Dec. 2025 Gehry’s formidable reputation in the world of architecture was built over a seven-decade-long career that began with his 1954 graduation from the University of Southern California’s School of Architecture. Emma Specter, Vogue, 5 Dec. 2025 Estella Patterson, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s first female chief, was sworn in at a ceremony in southwest Charlotte Friday morning that at times felt like a presidential inauguration or college graduation. Charlotte Observer, 5 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for graduation

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of graduation was in 1611

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Cite this Entry

“Graduation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graduation. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

graduation

noun
grad·​u·​a·​tion ˌgraj-ə-ˈwā-shən How to pronounce graduation (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on graduation

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