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Grow vs Graduate - What's the difference?

grow | graduate |

In intransitive terms the difference between grow and graduate

is that grow is to appear or sprout while graduate is to change gradually.

In transitive terms the difference between grow and graduate

is that grow is to cause or allow something to become bigger, especially to cultivate plants while graduate is to mark (something) with degrees; to divide into regular steps or intervals, as the scale of a thermometer, a scheme of punishment or rewards, etc.

As verbs the difference between grow and graduate

is that grow is to become bigger while graduate is to be recognized by a school or university as having completed the requirements of a degree studied at the institution. See note on “from” usage.

As a noun graduate is

(from a university) A person who is recognized by a university as having completed the requirements of a degree studied at the institution.

As an adjective graduate is

graduated, arranged by degrees.

grow

English

Verb

  • (ergative) To become bigger.
  • Children grow quickly.
  • To appear or sprout.
  • Flowers grew on the trees as summer approached.
    A long tail began to grow from his backside.
  • To cause or allow something to become bigger, especially to cultivate plants.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=March 01 , author=Peter Roff , title=Another Foolish Move By Congress , work=Fox News citation , passage=The Bush administration – which sought to grow the number of fisheries managed under a program known as “catch shares”... }}
    He grows peppers and squash each summer in his garden.
    Have you ever grown your hair before?
  • (copulative) To assume a condition or quality over time.
  • The boy grew wise as he matured.
    The town grew smaller and smaller in the distance as we travelled.
    You have grown strong.
  • (obsolete) To become attached or fixed; to adhere.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Our knees shall kneel till to the ground they grow .

    Usage notes

    * Growed is a slang or dialect inflection for the simple past and past participle.

    Antonyms

    * shrink

    Derived terms

    * grow a pair * growed * grower * grow house * growing pains * growing point * grown-up * grow on * grow op * grow out of * growth * grow up * outgrow * overgrow

    graduate

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (senseid) A person who is recognized by a university as having completed the requirements of a degree studied at the institution.
  • If the government wants graduates to stay in the country they should offer more incentives .
  • (US, Canada) A person who is recognized by a high school as having completed the requirements of a course of study at the school.
  • A graduated (marked) cup or other container, thus fit for measuring.
  • Antonyms

    * (person recognized for having finished studies) student, drop-out

    Coordinate terms

    * (person recognized by school) (l), (l), (l)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • graduated, arranged by degrees
  • holding an academic degree
  • relating to an academic degree
  • Verb

    (graduat)
  • (ergative) To be recognized by a school or university as having completed the requirements of a degree studied at the institution. See note on “from” usage.
  • The man graduated in 1967.
    Trisha graduated from college.
    Trisha graduated college.
  • To certify (a student) as having earned a degree
  • Indiana University graduated the student.
    The college graduated him as soon as he was no longer eligible to play under NCAA rules.
  • To mark (something) with degrees; to divide into regular steps or intervals, as the scale of a thermometer, a scheme of punishment or rewards, etc.
  • To change gradually.
  • sandstone which graduates''' into gneiss; carnelian sometimes '''graduates into quartz
  • To prepare gradually; to arrange, temper, or modify by degrees or to a certain degree; to determine the degrees of.
  • to graduate the heat of an oven
  • * Browne
  • Dyers advance and graduate their colours with salts.
  • (chemistry) To bring to a certain degree of consistency, by evaporation, as a fluid.
  • To taper, as the tail of certain birds.
  • Usage notes

    In the sense “to complete studies”, the preposition “from” is often used, but may be dropped in informal speech, as in “I just graduated' ''from'' college” vs. (informal) “I just ' graduated college”. This varies between speakers, and some speakers consider “from” required, marking “I graduated college” as incorrect or uneducated. Note also that the subject and object can switch between the school and the student: “I graduated' [from] Indiana University last year” vs. “Indiana University ' graduated me last year”.

    Derived terms

    * graduator