undergraduate

noun

un·​der·​grad·​u·​ate ˌən-dər-ˈgra-jə-wət 

-ˌwāt;

-ˈgraj-wət

: 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

Crafting the ‘nudge’ As an undergraduate at Carnegie Mellon University, Carleton spent two summers working in a Johns Hopkins prostate cancer lab and was surprised to see surgeons making a point to attend the department’s journal club. — Allessandra Dicorato, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026

The $235-million deal includes a 150-year ground lease with future rent to be paid to Cooper Union, which plans to use the funds to restore full-tuition scholarships to all undergraduates by 2028. — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

These students are juggling responsibilities that traditional undergraduates rarely face. — Ruth Bauer, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026

Institutions built solely around the traditional undergraduate experience risk becoming increasingly disconnected from the realities of today’s learners. — Irma Becerra, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for undergraduate

• postgraduate
• graduate

Kids Definition

undergraduate

noun

un·​der·​grad·​u·​ate ˌən-dər-ˈgraj-(ə-)wət 

-ə-ˌwāt

: a student at a college or university who has not yet received a degree