Cool MateCompletion vs Graduation
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Completion
Top 2,000 (common)B2noun
Graduation
Top 2,000 (common)
| Completion | Graduation | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/kəmˈpliːʃn/"]/🇺🇸 /["/kəmˈpliːʃn/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //ˌɡrædʒ.ʊˈeɪ.ʃən//🇺🇸 //ˌɡrædʒ.ʊˈeɪ.ʃən// |
| Meaning | The act of finishing something. | The ceremony when students finish school or college. |
| Example | The completion of the project was celebrated with a party. | She was excited to attend her graduation ceremony next week. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | B2 | - |
| Part of speech | noun | |
| Collocations | rapid, speedy, early, near, reach, bring something to, date, time, rate, after completion, following completion, before completion, the date of completion | graduation ceremony, graduation day, high school graduation, college graduation, graduation speech |
| Antonyms | incompletion, unfinished, failure | - |
| Common mistakes | Using 'complete' instead of 'completion' as a noun, Confusing it with 'completionist' in game contexts, Saying 'the completion of the work is done' instead of 'the completion of the work is finished' | Confused with 'graduated' as a verb instead of a noun., Using 'graduation' incorrectly for non-educational completions, like training., Saying 'the graduation' instead of 'graduation' when talking about the event broadly. |
| Usage notes | Use 'completion' in contexts where something is finished. Common in academic or formal settings, but less so in casual conversation. Be careful in using it in informal settings where simpler words may work better. | Used mostly in educational contexts. Formal when referring to the ceremony, and can be informal when discussing the achievement. |
Frequently asked questions: Completion vs Graduation
What's the difference between Completion and Graduation?
Completion: The act of finishing something. Graduation: The ceremony when students finish school or college.
Can you show an example of each?
Completion: The completion of the project was celebrated with a party. Graduation: She was excited to attend her graduation ceremony next week.
Can I use Completion and Graduation interchangeably?
Not always. Completion and Graduation are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.