Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Graduation has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
the successful completion of a program of study
"After years of hard work, she finally received her diploma and celebrated her graduation from university."
an academic exercise in which diplomas are conferred
"The entire family gathered to watch her graduation, where she received her diploma from the university president."
a line (as on a vessel or ruler) that marks a measurement
"the ruler had 16 graduations per inch"
the act of arranging in grades
"The librarian arranged the books on the shelf by graduation, placing them from smallest to largest volume."
The action or process of graduating and receiving a diploma for completing a course of study (such as from an educational institution).
"After months of hard work, she attended her graduation to receive her diploma from the university."
In plain English: Graduation is when you officially finish your studies at school and get to leave as an adult student.
"The school held its annual graduation ceremony to celebrate all the students finishing their final year."
Usage: Graduation refers specifically to the ceremony where students receive their diplomas, not merely the act of finishing coursework. Use this term when describing the formal event rather than the general completion of studies.
Graduation comes from the word graduate combined with the suffix -ion. It originally referred to the act of completing a course of study or advancing to a higher level.