Definition

Noun: 1. A formal ceremony at which academic degrees or diplomas are officially awarded: A "graduation exercise" is the official event, often called a commencement ceremony, where students who have completed a course of study receive their diplomas or degrees.

Usage

The term "graduation exercise" is a formal and somewhat traditional term for the ceremony itself. It emphasizes the ceremonial and procedural aspect of the event. - It is typically used in official communications, schedules, or formal writing from educational institutions. - The phrase often appears in contexts like "the program for the graduation exercise" or "participants in the graduation exercise."

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "to participate in the graduation exercise": To take part in the ceremony, often by processing in academic regalia and receiving a diploma.
  • He was honored to participate in the graduation exercise as the valedictorian.
• The term can sometimes be used more broadly to refer to the entire series of events surrounding graduation, including speeches and the conferral of degrees.

Variants and Related Words

• Commencement: A more common synonym for the graduation ceremony, emphasizing the "beginning" of a new phase of life.
• Graduation ceremony: The most common and straightforward term for the event.
• Convocation: A formal assembly at a university, which can include a ceremony for conferring degrees.

Synonyms

• Commencement
• Graduation ceremony
• Convocation (in academic contexts)
• Degree ceremony

Related Phrases

• To walk at graduation: An informal phrase meaning to participate in the graduation ceremony.
  • She finished her coursework in December but will walk at graduation in the spring.
• To confer a degree: The official act of granting the academic title during the ceremony.
  • The president of the college will confer the degrees during the graduation exercise.

Noun

1. an academic exercise in which diplomas are conferred