undergraduate
gb/ˌʌndɚɡɹˈæd͡ʒuɪt/ us/ˌʌndɚɡɹˈæd͡ʒuɪt/
B1
English
~ 4600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
Student before earning bachelor's degree
A student at a university or college who is studying for their first degree.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is an undergraduate at [university/college]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'undergraduate' with 'postgraduate'. 'Undergraduate' means before getting the first degree, while 'postgraduate' means after getting it.
Synonyms
college student (More common in American English, may refer to both undergraduate and graduate students.)
|
bachelor's student (Specifically refers to someone studying for a bachelor's degree; less common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
graduate student (Refers to a student who already has a bachelor's degree and is studying for an advanced degree.)
Collocations
undergraduate degree
|undergraduate student
|undergraduate program
|undergraduate course
|undergraduate studies
Themes
education
|university
|student_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She is an undergraduate majoring in biology.
- The university has over 10,000 undergraduate students.
- He completed his undergraduate studies in three years.
- Undergraduate tuition fees have increased this year.
- As an undergraduate, she joined several student clubs.
Learner examples
- I am an undergraduate at Oxford.
- He is an undergraduate student.
- She is doing her undergraduate degree in history.
- Many undergraduates live on campus.
- The university offers help to undergraduates.
Grammar
Dictionary form
undergraduate
IPA
GB/ˌʌndɚɡɹˈæd͡ʒuɪt/
US/ˌʌndɚɡɹˈæd͡ʒuɪt/
Syllables & stress
un - der - gradu - ate (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (der)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: undergraduate
- Plural: undergraduates
Word family
Forms
undergraduates
noun
Core family
graduate
noun B1
graduation
noun B1
Related words
undergrad
noun
Negative and opposite forms
postgraduate
noun B2
Expressions
undergraduate degree
1/ˌʌndɚɡɹˈæd͡ʒuɪt dɪɡɹˈi/
fixed phrase
First-level university qualification
A first level qualification you get from a university, usually after three or four years of study.
Examples
- She earned her undergraduate degree in economics.
- An undergraduate degree is often required for entry-level jobs.
undergraduate program
1/ˌʌndɚɡɹˈæd͡ʒuɪt pɹˈoʊɡɹˌæm/
fixed phrase
Course leading to bachelor's degree
A set of classes and requirements you take to get your first university degree.
Examples
- She enrolled in the undergraduate program in engineering.
- The undergraduate program requires students to complete 120 credits.
undergraduate student
1/ˌʌndɚɡɹˈæd͡ʒuɪt stˈudənt/
fixed phrase
University student before bachelor's degree
A student at a university who has not yet finished their first degree.
Examples
- The scholarship is open to all undergraduate students.
- Undergraduate students can apply for internships during the summer.