undergraduate

noun

un·​der·​grad·​u·​ate ˌən-dər-ˈgra-jə-wət How to pronounce undergraduate (audio)
-ˌwāt;
-ˈgraj-wət
Synonyms of undergraduatenext
: 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
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.
Visas and a subpoena Nearly half of Caltech’s graduate students, 46%, come from abroad, along with 16% of undergraduates. — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026 The University of Connecticut has released their Summer 2026 undergraduate and graduate lists, with more than a few students local to the Nutmeg state. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026 Atlantic analysis that found over 20% of undergraduates at Harvard and Brown are registered as disabled, while Amherst has 34% and Stanford close to 40%. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026 One of the Cornell students who was named in a civil lawsuit by a former undergraduate student known as Jane Doe, has asked a judge to drop him from the suit. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for undergraduate

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of undergraduate was in 1630

Rhymes for undergraduate

See All Rhymes for undergraduate

Browse Nearby Words

undergrade
undergraduate
undergraduateship
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Cite this Entry

“Undergraduate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undergraduate. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

undergraduate

noun
un·​der·​grad·​u·​ate ˌən-dər-ˈgraj-(ə-)wət How to pronounce undergraduate (audio)
-ə-ˌwāt
: a student at a college or university who has not yet received a degree

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