grade
1 of 4noun
ˈgrād 
1
a
: a level of study in an elementary, middle, or secondary school that is completed by a student during one year
will enter eleventh grade this year
students in the second grade
b
: the students in the same year of study in elementary, middle, or secondary school
The ninth grade is away on a field trip.
c(1)
: a position in a scale of ranks or qualities
Each grade of steel contains sub-divisions corresponding to steels of different yield stress and impact requirements.
G. D. Taylor
G. D. Taylor (2)
: a stage in a process
… we should bear in mind that animals displaying early transitional grades of the structure will seldom continue to exist to the present day, for they will have been supplanted by the very process of perfection through natural selection. Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin d
: a degree of severity in illness
grade III carcinoma
e
: a military or naval rank
To be prepared for burial Claggart's body was delivered to certain petty-officers of his mess. And … the Master-at-arms was committed to the sea with every funeral honor properly belonging to his naval grade. Herman Melville
Herman Melville… her father being a country clergyman who had never reached a higher grade than that of an archdeacon … Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope2
a
: a mark indicating a degree of accomplishment in school
earned good grades in school
What was your grade on the math test?
b
: a class of things of the same stage or degree
c
: a standard of food quality
Extra-virgin is the highest grade of olive oil. Lisa McManus
Lisa McManus3
a
: the degree of inclination of a road or slope
… one track went straight up the steep hill, the other one turned square off to the right, with a very slight grade. Mark Twain
Mark Twain also : a sloping road
The car … toiled up the long, long grades, past Ash Fork, towards Flagstaff, where the forests and quarries are, under the dry, remote skies. Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling b
: a datum or reference level
especially : ground level sense 1a
4
: a domestic animal with one parent purebred and the other of inferior breeding
5
[translation of German Stufe] linguistics : any of the variants of a root or affix (distinguished by a particular vowel or the absence of any vowel) in the ablaut series of an Indo-European language
6
grades plural : the elementary school system
gradeless
ˈgrād-ləs
adjective grade
2 of 4verb
graded; grading
transitive verb
1
a
: to assign to a grade or assign a grade to
… Mrs. Granger would be the one grading their spelling tests and their reading tests … Andrew Clements
Andrew Clements… these students are being graded by the instructor whose methods or information they have reason to question. Mary Lefkowitz
Mary Lefkowitz b
: to arrange in grades : sort
Each printing plant sends sample copies of its press run to the color lab, where they are graded for quality. Robert Neuwirth
Robert Neuwirth c
: to arrange in a scale or series
2
: to level off to a smooth horizontal or sloping surface
The ground should be graded to direct water flow away from the home. Consumer Reports
Consumer Reportsintransitive verb
1
a
: to form a series
b
: blend
Notice that the mud and the sand grade into each other along the sandbar. Sheldon Judson and Marvin E. Kauffman
Sheldon Judson and Marvin E. Kauffman2
: to be of a particular grade
gradable
ˈgrā-də-bəl
adjective grade
3 of 4adjective
: being, involving, or yielding domestic animals of improved but not pure stock
grade ewes
grade breeding
-grade
4 of 4adjective combining form
: walking
plantigrade
Synonyms
Noun
- chapter
- cut
- degree
- inch
- notch
- peg
- phase
- place
- point
- stage
- step
Verb
- assort
- break down
- categorize
- class
- classify
- codify
- compartment
- compartmentalize
- digest
- distinguish
- distribute
- group
- peg
- place
- range
- rank
- relegate
- separate
- sort
- type
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun The fifth grade will perform their annual play this week. a grade of 90 percent or better Her grades are up this semester. an expensive grade of leather Verb Students will be graded on their reading ability. She hasn't finished grading the exams. How would you grade your meal on a scale from one to five? The eggs are graded according to size. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Nicole Asbury, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2022 Morales' son, Jeremiah, was in the third grade last year and lost three friends following the May 24 massacre. Fox News, 6 Sep. 2022 Current third and fourth grade students who had attended Robb Elementary last year are now at Uvalde Elementary School. Lilia Luciano, CBS News, 6 Sep. 2022 Pre-K and third grade are at maximum capacity and have waiting lists. Elizabeth Findell, WSJ, 4 Sep. 2022 The tests reflect the performance of 9-year-olds, who are typically in third and fourth grade — a crucial time of learning. Paloma Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2022 While daughter Varvara will follow her design courses online, son Ilya is entering the third grade in Makariv. Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2022 Experts often say that third grade marks the point where students shift from learning to read to reading to learn. Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 1 Sep. 2022 The state released 2022 third grade reading scores last month. al, 26 Aug. 2022 Stephen Means, cleveland, 21 Dec. 2020 Participants are asked to grade the schools overall as well as in a variety of areas including leadership, safety, innovation and responsiveness to the community. Mj Slaby, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Apr. 2022 At first, Murphy did not grade as highly on pitches down in the strike zone, an area Jensen views as vital. Matt Kawahara, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 May 2022 Trying to grade how teams did immediately after a draft is pretty futile. Matt Young, Chron, 2 May 2022 Despite the rejection, the Sheriff’s Department hired a crew to grade the dirt. Alene Tchekmedyianstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2022 There are 150 students in the class, so if the strike continues, the professor will have to grade all the final exams without help. Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2022 And after the ’bacco was cured, my grandmother would grade it. New York Times, 31 Mar. 2022 The program will use machine learning and artificial intelligence to teach and grade. Susan Harmeling, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2022 The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 May 2022 Enter the Espresso Forge, a stainless steel device that is designed to produce pro-grade espresso, no electricity required. The Editors, Outside Online, 4 Aug. 2022 School officials in the city of Lawrence — home to the main University of Kansas campus — are creating multi-grade level elementary classrooms, which will allow the district to get by with fewer teachers. The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 May 2022 Common active ingredients in pro-grade peels include glycolic, mandelic, salicylic, and lactic acids, along with trichloroacetic acid. Janell M. Hickman, SELF, 27 July 2022 School officials in the city of Lawrence — home to the main University of Kansas campus — are creating multi-grade level elementary classrooms, which will allow the district to get by with fewer teachers. The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 May 2022 Producing premium and mid-grade gasoline requires special additives that are costly to make, too—higher octane doesn’t come cheap. Clifford Atiyeh, Car and Driver, 10 July 2022 School officials in the city of Lawrence — home to the main University of Kansas campus — are creating multi-grade level elementary classrooms, which will allow the district to get by with fewer teachers. The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 May 2022 School officials in the city of Lawrence – home to the main University of Kansas campus – are creating multi-grade level elementary classrooms, which will allow the district to get by with fewer teachers. Heather Hollingsworth And Annie Ma, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2022 See More
Noun
Landon School teaches nearly 700 students between third and 12th grade. Nicole Asbury, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2022 Morales' son, Jeremiah, was in the third grade last year and lost three friends following the May 24 massacre. Fox News, 6 Sep. 2022 Current third and fourth grade students who had attended Robb Elementary last year are now at Uvalde Elementary School. Lilia Luciano, CBS News, 6 Sep. 2022 Pre-K and third grade are at maximum capacity and have waiting lists. Elizabeth Findell, WSJ, 4 Sep. 2022 The tests reflect the performance of 9-year-olds, who are typically in third and fourth grade — a crucial time of learning. Paloma Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2022 While daughter Varvara will follow her design courses online, son Ilya is entering the third grade in Makariv. Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2022 Experts often say that third grade marks the point where students shift from learning to read to reading to learn. Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 1 Sep. 2022 The state released 2022 third grade reading scores last month. al, 26 Aug. 2022 Verb
For the second time this season, Just Fields did not grade out as a champion after completing a career-low 44.4 percent of his passes for 114 yards and two interceptions. Stephen Means, cleveland, 21 Dec. 2020 Participants are asked to grade the schools overall as well as in a variety of areas including leadership, safety, innovation and responsiveness to the community. Mj Slaby, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Apr. 2022 At first, Murphy did not grade as highly on pitches down in the strike zone, an area Jensen views as vital. Matt Kawahara, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 May 2022 Trying to grade how teams did immediately after a draft is pretty futile. Matt Young, Chron, 2 May 2022 Despite the rejection, the Sheriff’s Department hired a crew to grade the dirt. Alene Tchekmedyianstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2022 There are 150 students in the class, so if the strike continues, the professor will have to grade all the final exams without help. Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2022 And after the ’bacco was cured, my grandmother would grade it. New York Times, 31 Mar. 2022 The program will use machine learning and artificial intelligence to teach and grade. Susan Harmeling, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2022 Adjective
School officials in the city of Lawrence — home to the main University of Kansas campus — are creating multi-grade level elementary classrooms, which will allow the district to get by with fewer teachers. The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 May 2022 Enter the Espresso Forge, a stainless steel device that is designed to produce pro-grade espresso, no electricity required. The Editors, Outside Online, 4 Aug. 2022 School officials in the city of Lawrence — home to the main University of Kansas campus — are creating multi-grade level elementary classrooms, which will allow the district to get by with fewer teachers. The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 May 2022 Common active ingredients in pro-grade peels include glycolic, mandelic, salicylic, and lactic acids, along with trichloroacetic acid. Janell M. Hickman, SELF, 27 July 2022 School officials in the city of Lawrence — home to the main University of Kansas campus — are creating multi-grade level elementary classrooms, which will allow the district to get by with fewer teachers. The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 May 2022 Producing premium and mid-grade gasoline requires special additives that are costly to make, too—higher octane doesn’t come cheap. Clifford Atiyeh, Car and Driver, 10 July 2022 School officials in the city of Lawrence — home to the main University of Kansas campus — are creating multi-grade level elementary classrooms, which will allow the district to get by with fewer teachers. The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 May 2022 School officials in the city of Lawrence – home to the main University of Kansas campus – are creating multi-grade level elementary classrooms, which will allow the district to get by with fewer teachers. Heather Hollingsworth And Annie Ma, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun, Verb, and Adjective
Latin gradus step, degree, from Latin gradi to step, go; akin to Lithuanian gridyti to go, wander
Adjective combining form
French, from Latin -gradus, from gradi
First Known Use
Noun
1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1c(2)
Verb
1659, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b
Adjective
1852, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing grade
Kids Definition
grade 1 of 2
noun
ˈgrād
1
: a division of a school course representing a year's work
He's in the fourth grade.
2
: the group of pupils in a school grade
Fifth grade is holding a bake sale.
3
: a mark or rating especially in school
I got a grade of A on the test.
4
: a position in a scale of rank, quality, or order
a social grade
5
: a class of things that are of the same rank, quality, or order
A … hide was worth from four to ten dollars, depending on the grade and quality. Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows
Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows6
: the degree of slope (as of a road)
grade
2 of 2verb
graded; grading
1
: to give a grade to as an indication of achievement
The teacher graded my report a B.
2
: to give a rating to
I'd grade the movie a ten.
3
: to arrange in grades according to some quality
The eggs were graded by size.
4
: to make level or evenly sloping
grade a highway
Medical Definition
grade
noun
ˈgrād
: a degree of severity of a disease or abnormal condition
a grade III carcinoma
grade 1 of 3
noun
1
as in stage
an individual part of a process, series, or ranking just one grade removed from completion Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- stage
- phase
- chapter
- point
- degree
- place
- step
- inch
- cut
- notch
- amount
- peg
- angle
- side
- aspect
- measure
- facet
- plane
- increment
- decrement
2
as in rate
degree of excellence only motor oil of the highest grade for his fancy sports car Synonyms & Similar Words
- rate
- quality
- class
- caliber
- standard
- calibre
- stature
- rank
- status
- hallmark
- position
- benchmark
- criterion
- standing
- footing
- mark
- par
- yardstick
- place
- measure
- touchstone
3
as in type
one of the units into which a whole is divided on the basis of a common characteristic there are various grades of wool to consider when selecting a fabric Synonyms & Similar Words
- type
- category
- kind
- class
- tier
- classification
- group
- rubric
- league
- sort
- generation
- bracket
- section
- family
- division
- species
- variety
- genus
- set
- rank(s)
- order
- breed
- subdivision
- description
- kidney
- subgroup
- specialty
- like
- race
- subspecies
- manner
- branch
- nature
- speciality
- subclass
- feather
- label
- heading
- title
- ilk
4
as in standard
something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared that painting just doesn't make the grade Synonyms & Similar Words
- standard
- criterion
- metric
- benchmark
- measure
- par
- average
- barometer
- yardstick
- mark
- example
- bar
- instance
- rule
- gold standard
- touchstone
- norm
- case
- pinnacle
- peak
- summit
- apex
- meridian
- zenith
- acme
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- deviation
- abnormality
- aberration
5
as in slope
the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon the hill rises at a seven percent grade Synonyms & Similar Words
- slope
- incline
- inclination
- pitch
- gradient
- climb
- diagonal
- upgrade
- ascent
- slant
- lean
- rake
- bank
- cant
- rise
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- fall
- decline
- downgrade
- descent
- dip
- declension
- declivity
- hanging
- declination
- hang
- receding
grade
2 of 3verb
1
as in to rank
to arrange or assign according to type grade these apples "extra fancy" and those "fancy" Synonyms & Similar Words
- rank
- classify
- type
- group
- class
- distinguish
- relegate
- place
- separate
- sort
- list
- distribute
- range
- categorize
- compartment
- peg
- digest
- identify
- assort
- recognize
- order
- compartmentalize
- break down
- file
- codify
- organize
- catalog
- index
- refer
- alphabetize
- array
- cull
- draw up
- dispose
- systematize
- shelve
- cluster
- reclassify
- sieve
- marshal
- pigeonhole
- screen
- clump
- catalogue
- sift
- marshall
- winnow
- set
- colligate
- subcategorize
- regroup
- recategorize
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- lump
- scramble
- mix (up)
- confuse
- jumble
- disarrange
- misclassify
- mistype
- missort
2
as in to be
to take or have a certain position within a group arranged in vertical classes believe it or not, that music grades pretty high with young teens Synonyms & Similar Words
- rank
- be
- rate
- place
- stand
- class
- seed
- group
- count
- classify
- sort
- separate
- categorize
- install
- set
- compartmentalize
- instate
- codify
grade
3 of 3adjective
as in hybrid
Synonyms & Similar Words
- hybrid
- mixed
- cross
- crossbred
- trihybrid
- mongrel
- half-bred
- dihybrid
- crossed
- hybridized
- outcrossed
- interbred
- cold-blooded
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- thoroughbred
- purebred
- blooded
- pedigree
- pedigreed
- straightbred
- inbred
- linebred
- full-blood
- full-blooded
Phrases Containing grade
- queenless
- queenlet
- queenlets
- queenlier
- queenliest
- queenlike
- queenliker
- queenlikest
- queenliness
- queenlinesses
- queenly
- queenpin
- queenright
- queenroot
- queens
- Queens
- queens (it over)
- queens consort
- queens it over
- queens regent
- queens regnant
- queens-in-council
- queens-in-parliament
- Queensberry
- Queensberry rules