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.
Mason-Brown, an eighth grader who dreamed of becoming a beautician and real estate agent, was killed May 21, 2025, inside an apartment at the Benning Courts Pentacle complex in the 1700 block of Benning Road Northeast, across from Hechinger Mall. Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026 According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Education, schools across the country welcomed some 243,398 first-graders on Tuesday, far fewer than the 400,000 who started school in 2021, before the war started. Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026 Gopalakrishnan said the pandemic may also have hit 2026’s 11th graders especially hard. Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026 Alan, a 9th-grader interested in photography, made a logo for his own business in that field. Austin Horn august 29, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 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

Cite this Entry

“Grader.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grader. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

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

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