grader

noun

grad·​er ˈgrā-dər How to pronounce grader (audio)
1
: one that grades
2
: a machine for leveling earth
3
: a pupil in a school grade
a fifth grader

Examples of grader in a Sentence

Her students say that she's a tough grader.
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.
Two months later, a former student opened fire at the Covenant School, in Nashville, killing three third graders and three staff members. — Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026 Despite the claims and clamor, well into the twenty-first century, less than 40 percent of American twelfth graders are proficient in basic literacy. — Kamau Bobb october 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026 Scott, played by Steve Carell, had promised to pay the college tuition of any third-grader who graduated from one high school class. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026 For Shepherd, 56% of third graders approached grade level for reading in 2018, one year prior to the state takeover. — Daniel H. Robinson, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grader

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grader was in 1832

Rhymes for grader

See All Rhymes for grader

Browse Nearby Words

grade point average
grader
grader man
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grader.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grader. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

grader

noun
grad·​er ˈgrād-ər How to pronounce grader (audio)
1
: one that grades
2
: a machine for leveling earth
3
: a pupil in a school grade
a group of sixth graders

More from Merriam-Webster on grader

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grader

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