gradués

Gradués (masculine plural) and graduées (feminine plural) is a French term used as a noun and an adjective to designate people who have completed a degree or professional qualification. The more common everyday term for such a person is diplômé (masculine) or diplômée (feminine); gradué tends to appear in more formal, historical, or institutional contexts.

Etymology and meaning: The form derives from the notion of degree or rank, linked to the idea of having reached a certain level of study. The word signals the completion of an educational program and the attainment of a qualification recognized by an institution.

Usage and style: In contemporary French, diplômé is the standard label for someone who holds a degree. Gradué is encountered mainly in specific phrases, such as references to alumni of a particular school or in ceremonial or archival language describing graduation events. The feminine form is graduée and the plural forms remain gradués or graduées to match gender and number. In many contexts, writers choose the more common diplômé/diplômée for clarity and contemporary usage, reserving gradué for more formal or historical tones.

Notes: While graduation-related terms exist across languages, the exact usage of gradués in French can vary by country and institution. In general, gradués emphasizes the status of having completed studies rather than the possession of a specific diploma, a distinction more often conveyed by diplômé.