English Reference
noun

degree

n.
US /dɪˈɡɹi/ UK /dɪɡɹˈiː/ de·gree UK spelling deg, degree's, degree's

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    a qualification given by a college or university after you finish your studies.

    an academic rank or title conferred by a university or college as a certification of completion of a course of study.

    Simple

    After four years of hard work, she finally received her degree in history.

    In context

    He decided to pursue a master's degree in international relations to improve his prospects in the diplomatic service.

  2. 02 A2 Elementary Science

    a unit used to measure how hot or cold something is.

    a unit of measurement on a temperature scale such as Celsius, Fahrenheit, or Kelvin.

    Simple

    Water freezes at zero degrees Celsius.

    In context

    The laboratory oven must be kept at exactly two hundred degrees to ensure the chemical reaction occurs correctly.

  3. 03 B1 Intermediate

    the amount or level of a feeling, quality, or action.

    the extent, measure, or scope of an action, condition, or relation.

    Simple

    I agree with you to a certain degree, but I still have some concerns.

    In context

    The success of the project depends to a large degree on the cooperation between the different departments.

  4. 04 B1 Intermediate Math

    a unit for measuring angles or parts of a circle.

    a unit of measurement of an angle, equal to one three-hundred-and-sixtieth of a full circle.

    Simple

    A square has four corners that are all ninety degrees.

    In context

    The navigator calculated that the ship needed to turn thirty degrees to the east to avoid the storm.

  5. 05 B2 Upper Intermediate Science

    a unit used to show a position on a map using latitude and longitude.

    a unit of measurement for latitude and longitude used to identify a specific location on the Earth's surface.

    Simple

    The city is located at thirty-five degrees north latitude.

    In context

    Each degree of latitude is approximately sixty-nine miles apart, regardless of the observer's position on the globe.

  6. 06 C1 Advanced Technical

    the different forms of an adjective, like 'big', 'bigger', and 'biggest'.

    any of the three stages (positive, comparative, and superlative) in the comparison of adjectives and adverbs.

    Simple

    In the sentence 'He is the tallest', the word 'tallest' is in the superlative degree.

    In context

    The teacher explained how to form the comparative degree for irregular adjectives like 'good' and 'bad'.

Usage assess degree · considerable degree · degree depend


From Middle English degre, borrowed from Old French degré (French: degré), itself from Latin gradus, with the prefix de-.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin gradus
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Very common
Updated