undergraduate

noun

un·​der·​grad·​u·​ate ˌən-dər-ˈgra-jə-wət 

-ˌwāt;

-ˈgraj-wət

: a student at a college or university who has not received a first and especially a bachelor's degree

undergraduate adjective

Examples of undergraduate in a Sentence

a group of college undergraduates

Recent Examples on the Web

The admissions office allows Freeman to take undergraduate transfers. — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 15 July 2026

In 1995 and 1996, by comparison, about 25% of undergraduate students had student loan debt. — Thomas Adam, Fortune, 13 July 2026

One study in Brazil determined that undergraduates who used AI for studying performed significantly worse on a surprise test than those who studied without AI. — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

For Fall 2026, Michigan received a record 115,125 undergraduate applications, representing a 29% increase over the past five years. — Dr. Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for undergraduate

• postgraduate
• graduate

Kids Definition

undergraduate

noun

un·​der·​grad·​u·​ate ˌən-dər-ˈgraj-(ə-)wət 

-ə-ˌwāt

: a student at a college or university who has not yet received a degree