grader

noun

grad·​er ˈgrā-dər How to pronounce grader (audio)
1
: one that grades
2
: a machine for leveling earth
3
: a pupil in a school grade
a fifth grader

Examples of grader in a Sentence

Her students say that she's a tough grader.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Math performance in grades 6 and 7 is significantly behind — just 8% of Fort Worth ISD seventh graders met or exceeded grade level and 21% of sixth graders met that mark. — Samuel O’Neal 31, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026 Kevin Nichols leads the Science in the City program, where dozens of fifth and sixth graders are getting excited about science, technology, engineering, and math like never before. — Sharon Chin, CBS News, 30 July 2026 Seven out of ten Latino/a 3rd graders and approximately 20,000 out of 27,000 total Latino/a students posted 2025 test results below grade level. — Elaine Gantz Berman, Denver Post, 27 July 2026 Ashley LaChance’s 13-year-old son Colton Remsburg, a seventh-grader at OCPS’ Innovation Middle School, was fatally injured riding an e-scooter in May in Lake Nona. — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for grader

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grader was in 1832

Rhymes for grader

See All Rhymes for grader

Browse Nearby Words

grade point average
grader
grader man
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grader.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grader. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

grader

noun
grad·​er ˈgrād-ər How to pronounce grader (audio)
1
: one that grades
2
: a machine for leveling earth
3
: a pupil in a school grade
a group of sixth graders

More from Merriam-Webster on grader

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grader

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All