graduate

Someone who has successfully finished a course at a school, college, or university.

• She is a recent graduate.
• The company employs many university graduates.
• He is a graduate of our local high school.

How to use it: graduate of something (She is a graduate of the local university.)

Common phrases: university graduate, recent graduate, college graduate, engineering graduate

A container with marks showing how much liquid it holds.

• Pour the liquid into a graduate.
• The glass graduate holds one hundred millilitres.
• Read the marks on the graduate carefully.

Similar words: measuring cylinder, measuring cup

Common phrases: glass graduate, measuring graduate

To successfully finish your studies and receive a degree or school qualification.

• I graduate next year.
• She graduated from college in June.
• Did he graduate with a degree in history?

How to use it: graduate from something (She graduated from university last year.); graduate in something (He graduated in chemistry.); graduate with something (They graduated with honours.)

Common phrases: graduate from college, graduate from school, graduate with honours

To move to a more advanced stage of an activity or skill.

• She graduated to a more advanced class.
• We soon graduated from short walks to long hikes.
• The young actor has graduated to leading roles.

How to use it: graduate to something (After a month, she graduated to harder exercises.); graduate from A to B (He graduated from small jobs to major projects.)

Similar words: progress, advance, move up

Common phrases: graduate to something, graduate from something

To mark or divide something into regular steps for measuring or comparing amounts.

• They graduate each cylinder before sale.
• The thermometer was graduated in degrees Celsius.
• This ruler is graduated in centimetres.

How to use it: graduate something in something (The cylinder is graduated in millilitres.)

Similar words: calibrate, mark

Common phrases: graduate a scale, graduate a cylinder

For a school or university to award a qualification to a student who has completed the required studies.

• The college graduates two hundred students each year.
• The university graduated its first medical students last spring.
• This school has graduated several famous scientists.

Common phrases: graduate students, graduate a class

To arrange things in groups or categories according to their qualities.

• The clerk graduated the samples into groups.
• The products were graduated by quality.
• They graduated the materials into three classes.

How to use it: graduate something by something (The samples were graduated by size.); graduate something into something (They graduated the materials into separate classes.)

Similar words: classify, categorize, grade

Common phrases: graduate into groups, graduate by size

To adjust an amount or strength gradually or according to a chosen scale.

• The cook graduated the oven’s heat.
• They graduated the pressure to avoid damaging the material.
• The technician graduated the light’s intensity through several stages.

Similar words: adjust, regulate

Common phrases: graduate the heat, graduate the pressure