graduations
graduations — noun
1. the completion of a course of study, or the public event where that achievement
the completion of a course of study, or the public event where that achievement is formally marked.
Their graduations from the nursing program came after months of overnight hospital training.
graduations from + program for completion
Three graduations filled the city hall theater over one busy weekend.
plural event count: multiple graduation ceremonies
After years of night classes, both sisters celebrated their graduations together in May.
The school livestreamed the graduations for grandparents watching from Seoul and Toronto.
Budget cuts forced several small colleges to combine their graduations this summer.
- commencements
mainly North American; more formal and strongly tied to the ceremony
- degree ceremonies
focuses on the formal event rather than the personal achievement
- completions
broader and less ceremonial; can fit courses outside university life
- dropouts
people or cases where the course ends before completion
文法句型
attend graduations
celebrate graduations
graduations from + institution or program
用法筆記
Usually plural when several ceremonies or several students' finishing moments are discussed together. For one person's event or milestone, singular graduation is much more common.
常見錯誤
2. the short lines or marks on a tool or container that show measured amounts or po
the short lines or marks on a tool or container that show measured amounts or positions.
The nurse checked the bottle's graduations before pouring exactly twenty milliliters.
read graduations before measuring liquid
Steam had faded the cup's graduations, so Mina guessed the water level.
faded graduations on a measuring cup
Clear black graduations on the ruler helped Omar cut the wood evenly.
The lab assistant wiped the cylinder gently to keep the graduations readable.
- measurement marks
plain everyday wording for the same lines
- scale lines
common when the marks belong to a printed or engraved scale
- calibration marks
slightly more technical; emphasizes precision
文法句型
graduations on + instrument
read the graduations
faded graduations on + container
用法筆記
Common on rulers, gauges, bottles, and laboratory glass. The singular graduation can name one individual line, but the plural usually refers to the whole set of marks.
常見錯誤
3. small step-by-step differences that create a scale of color, sound, rank, or som
small step-by-step differences that create a scale of color, sound, rank, or some other ordered range.
The designer used soft graduations of blue across the hospital wall mural.
graduations of color across a surface
Only an expert could hear the small graduations in volume between the violin phrases.
graduations in volume between sounds
The report shows graduations of responsibility from junior staff to directors.
Good language classes teach graduations of meaning, not just one-word translations.
The choreographer planned the dance in clear graduations of speed and force.
- gradations
very close in meaning and more common in modern formal English
- levels
broader and less formal; can describe larger jumps
- shades
best when the differences are in color or meaning
- uniformity
no meaningful difference across the range
文法句型
graduations of + color or sound
graduations in + rank or responsibility
用法筆記
This is a formal choice, often used when someone wants to stress fine differences rather than one sharp contrast. In everyday speech, many people would say levels, shades, or steps instead.