# grade

/ˈɡɹeɪd/ (US) · /ɡɹˈeɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/grade
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. academic mark

noun · CEFR A2 · American English

a letter or number that shows how well you did on a test or in a class.

For teachers: a mark indicating the quality of a student's work or performance in an examination.

- She was very happy because she got an A grade on her history project.
- The final grade for the semester is calculated by averaging the midterm exam results with the marks from three independent research papers.

Usage: Commonly used with 'get', 'receive', or 'give'.

### 2. school year

noun · CEFR A2 · American English

a level of study in school, usually based on a student's age.

For teachers: a level of primary or secondary education, typically corresponding to one academic year.

- My younger brother is starting the fourth grade this September.
- In the American school system, students typically enter the first grade at age six and continue through the twelfth grade before graduation.

Teaching tip: In British English, 'year' or 'form' is used instead of 'grade' for this meaning.

### 3. level of quality

noun · CEFR B1

a particular level of quality or rank in a system.

For teachers: a position within a scale of quality, rank, or size.

- The restaurant only uses the highest grade of olive oil in its cooking.
- The military officer was promoted to a higher pay grade after serving three years in the overseas division.

### 4. slope

noun · CEFR B2

the steepness of a road or a hill.

For teachers: the degree of inclination of a slope, road, or railway.

- The truck struggled to climb the steep grade of the mountain road.
- Engineers had to adjust the railway's grade to ensure the heavy freight trains could safely navigate the pass during icy conditions.

### 5. to mark work

verb · CEFR B1 · American English

to give a mark to a student's test or piece of work.

For teachers: to evaluate and assign a mark or score to academic work.

- The teacher spent the whole weekend grading the students' essays.
- The professor uses a strict rubric to grade the final presentations, ensuring that every student is assessed on the same criteria.

### 6. to classify

verb · CEFR B2

to arrange things into groups based on their quality or size.

For teachers: to arrange or classify items according to a scale of quality, size, or rank.

- The machines grade the eggs by weight before they are packed into boxes.
- The diamonds are carefully graded based on their clarity, colour, and cut before being sent to the jewellers.

## Examples

- She worked hard to get a good grade on her final exam.
- The construction company only uses high-grade steel to ensure the bridge remains safe for decades.
- While the student's overall grade was impressive, the professor noted a significant discrepancy between her theoretical knowledge and her practical laboratory skills.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.