stopniem

Stopień is a Polish noun meaning degree, level, rank, or step. It is used to denote a position on a scale, a level of quality, or a rank within a hierarchy. The instrumental form stopniem appears in phrases such as na wysokim stopniu precyzji (with a high degree of precision) and stopień trudności (degree of difficulty). The word also covers measurements on scales, such as temperatures and angles expressed in stopnie (degrees), for example stopnie Celsjusza and stopnie Fahrenheita.

In academia, stopień naukowy refers to earned scholarly degrees. Common examples include licencjat (bachelor), magister (master), inżynier (engineering degree), doktor (PhD), and doktor habilitowany (habilitation). The phrase uzyskać stopień doktora means to obtain a doctoral degree. Higher academic ranks, such as profesor, describe positions rather than degrees, but they are often discussed within the same formal framework of scholarly qualification.

In linguistics and grammar, stopień also denotes degrees of comparison for adjectives and adverbs, a process called stopniowanie. The Polish system traditionally recognizes three degrees: positive (the base form), comparative, and superlative, expressed through distinct morphological forms. Etymologically, stopień derives from older Slavic roots related to stepping or levels; cognates appear in related languages, such as Russian stепень (stepen'), reflecting the shared notion of stages or grades.

Stopień thus functions as a versatile term in Polish, linking measurement, qualification, and grammatical gradation across science, education, and everyday language.