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

Enrollment for postsecondary education, especially at two-year undergraduate institutions, grew during the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009. —Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2025

Welch will teach the course again this fall, now offered to undergraduates, full-time and part-time MBA candidates, and all other post-graduate students, with one mega-section of 150. —Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 2 Sep. 2025

Since Sanders took the helm in Boulder in late 2022, CU’s ticket sales, undergraduate applications and exposure have all drastically increased. —Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025

The University of Chicago has long been revered as a place that cultivated serious scholarship and offered a rigorous undergraduate education. —Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for undergraduate

• graduate
• postgraduate

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