degree

degree — noun

1. how much or how strongly a quality, feeling, or condition is present in a partic

1.nounB2
Definition

how much or how strongly a quality, feeling, or condition is present in a particular person, thing, or situation

Example

The success of the project depends on the degree of support from local residents.

degree of + [abstract noun]

Christopher felt a high degree of satisfaction after finishing the marathon.

Common collocations
  • high degree of
  • low degree of
  • varying degrees of
  • small degree of
  • great degree of
  • to some degree
  • to a large degree
Synonyms
  • level

    more general and interchangeable in most cases

  • extent

    emphasises range or scope rather than intensity

  • amount

    focuses on quantity rather than intensity of a quality

Grammar Patterns

degree + of + noun

Usage Note

Often followed by 'of' and an abstract noun (support, confidence, success, risk). The intensity can be modified with 'high', 'low', 'small', 'great', 'varying'.

Common Mistakes

The degree of the crime was serious.
The degree of harm caused by the crime was serious.
'degree of' needs an abstract quality or condition, not a concrete thing like 'crime'.

2. a way of describing situations where the difference between two things is about

2.nounB2
Definition

a way of describing situations where the difference between two things is about how much or how strongly, rather than about a completely different kind or category

Example

The difference between good and excellent is mostly a matter of degree.

fixed phrase: 'a matter of degree'

Lakan and Quinn both support the plan, but to different degrees they show their enthusiasm.

Common collocations
  • a matter of degree
  • differ in degree
  • to varying degrees
  • to different degrees
Synonyms
  • gradation

    more formal; suggests a series of small steps

  • nuance

    focuses on subtle rather than clearly graded difference

Grammar Patterns

a matter of degree

differ in degree

to different degrees

Usage Note

Most commonly appears in the set phrase 'a matter of degree'. The contrastive expression 'differ in degree, not in kind' distinguishes quantitative from qualitative difference.

Common Mistakes

It is a matter of degree about the colour.
The difference between the two shades is a matter of degree.
the phrase describes a comparison or spectrum, not a single item.

3. a standard unit used for measuring temperature on a fixed scale, or for measurin

3.nounA2
Definition

a standard unit used for measuring temperature on a fixed scale, or for measuring the size of an angle, written with the symbol ° after the number

Example

The temperature in Taipei reached 38 degrees yesterday afternoon.

temperature with city and number

In geometry class, the teacher explained that a right angle measures 90 degrees.

Common collocations
  • degrees Celsius
  • degrees Fahrenheit
  • 90 degrees
  • 180 degrees
  • degrees of latitude
  • degrees of longitude

Grammar Patterns

number + degrees + [scale]

number + degrees + [direction]

Usage Note

Always used with a number and the ° symbol in writing. In speech, 'degrees' is included. Common scales are Celsius (also called centigrade) and Fahrenheit. For angles, a full circle is 360 degrees.

4. a formal award that a university gives to students once they have met all the re

4.nounB1
Definition

a formal award that a university gives to students once they have met all the requirements of a learning programme in a chosen field

Example

Elena earned a degree in biology from the University of Tokyo.

degree in + [subject]

After finishing her degree, Talia found a job at a technology company in Seoul.

Common collocations
  • bachelor's degree
  • master's degree
  • degree in
  • earn a degree
  • hold a degree
  • degree programme
  • honours degree
Synonyms
  • diploma

    usually shorter and more vocational than a university degree

  • qualification

    a broader term that includes degrees, certificates, and diplomas

Grammar Patterns

[type] + degree + in + [subject]

earn/get/have + a degree

Usage Note

The subject is introduced by 'in' (a degree in physics). The level is shown before 'degree': 'bachelor's degree' (undergraduate), 'master's degree' (graduate), 'doctoral degree' (PhD). In British English, 'degree' often implies a bachelor's unless specified otherwise.

Common Mistakes

I studied degree in business.
I studied for a degree in business.
'degree' needs an article and a preposition.

5. how serious or harmful something is, considered as a general level on a scale of

5.nounB2
Definition

how serious or harmful something is, considered as a general level on a scale of severity — used especially in legal and medical contexts to rank harm, risk, or damage

Example

All injuries were classified by degree of severity in the hospital report.

degree of severity — general classification

The judge asked about the degree of harm caused by the accident.

degree of + harm/damage

Common collocations
  • degree of harm
  • degree of severity
  • degree of risk
  • degree of danger
  • degree of damage
Synonyms
  • level

    a more general word; 'degree' emphasises the intensity or amount

  • severity

    specifically about how serious or damaging something is

Grammar Patterns

degree of + [harm/danger/damage]

[high/low] degree of + noun

Usage Note

This sense describes the abstract level on a severity scale. It is used with 'of' and an abstract noun (harm, danger, risk, damage). Do not confuse with sense 6, which uses ordinal numbers (first-, second-, third-) as compound-adjective prefixes for specific named categories.

Common Mistakes

The degree of the burn was third-degree.
The burn was classified as a third-degree burn.
to describe the specific category on an ordinal scale, use sense 6 (first-degree, second-degree, etc.).

6. used with ordinal numbers such as first, second, and third to create compound ad

6.nounB2
Definition

used with ordinal numbers such as first, second, and third to create compound adjectives that label a specific level of seriousness in crimes, burns, and other harmful conditions — the combination of the ordinal number and 'degree' forms a fixed term that names a legal or medical category

Example

The doctor said the burn was a third-degree injury and needed immediate treatment.

third-degree burn — medical severity rank

In many countries, first-degree murder carries the longest prison sentence.

Common collocations
  • first-degree burn
  • first-degree murder
  • second-degree burn
  • second-degree murder
  • third-degree assault
  • third-degree burn
Synonyms
  • grade

    used similarly for medical categorisation (e.g. tumour grade)

  • class

    used in some legal contexts (class A felony vs. first-degree murder)

Grammar Patterns

[ordinal number]-degree + [crime/burn/injury noun]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 5: this sense uses ordinal numbers (first-, second-, third-) as compound-adjective prefixes that name a fixed category on an official scale. Sense 5 describes the abstract concept of severity level without ordinals. Note that the direction of the scale can reverse: first-degree burn is the least severe burn, but first-degree murder is the most serious crime.

Common Mistakes

The burn caused a high degree of damage.' (about amount, not category).
The burn was classified as a second-degree burn.
use sense 5 for abstract severity amount, sense 6 for the named category on an ordinal scale.

7. combined with a number to form compounds that describe a specific measurement on

7.nounA2
Definition

combined with a number to form compounds that describe a specific measurement on a scale, most often for temperature or the size of an angle

Example

The car made a 180-degree turn and drove back the other way.

180-degree turn — direction change

Emily checked the thermometer and saw it was a 30-degree morning.

Common collocations
  • 90-degree angle
  • 180-degree turn
  • 45-degree line
  • 30-degree weather
  • 360-degree view

Grammar Patterns

[number]-degree + [noun: turn, angle, day, morning]

Usage Note

In this compound-adjective use, the number and 'degree' are joined by a hyphen and placed before a noun (a 90-degree angle). Do not confuse with the noun sense (sense 3), where 'degree' stands alone after the number and a preposition (an angle of 90 degrees).

Common Mistakes

It is a 90 degrees angle.
It is a 90-degree angle.
when used as a compound adjective before a noun, 'degree' is singular and hyphenated with the number.
Idioms

by degrees

idiom

slowly and gradually, step by step rather than all at once

Her health improved by degrees after months of treatment and rest.

The company changed its policies by degrees, avoiding any sudden shock to employees.

to a degree

idiom

partly, or to some extent — suggesting that something is true but not completely

I agree with Amani's argument to a degree, though not on every point.

The new policy has helped to a degree, but the main problems remain unsolved.

to the nth degree

idiom

to the greatest possible level; extremely or as much as possible

Christopher prepared for the exam to the nth degree and scored the highest in his class.

The hotel staff went out of their way to please guests to the nth degree.

give someone the third degree

idiom

to question someone very thoroughly or aggressively, as if interrogating them

When Sora came home late, his parents gave him the third degree about where he had been.

The manager gave the new employee the third degree about his previous job experience.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Degree', 'level', and 'extent' all describe how much of something exists, but they differ in emphasis. 'Degree' focuses on the strength or intensity of a quality (a high degree of skill), and is the most natural choice with abstract qualities like satisfaction or risk. 'Level' suggests a specific point on a measurable scale, often with concrete reference points (noise level, water level, skill level). 'Extent' emphasises range or scope — how far something reaches (the extent of the damage). 'Intensity' is narrower, focusing specifically on the strength or force of something (light intensity, emotional intensity). 'Magnitude' is more formal and typically used for large-scale phenomena (the magnitude of the earthquake). For everyday use, 'degree' and 'level' are the most interchangeable; choose 'degree' for abstract qualities on a continuum, and 'level' when there are identifiable stages or benchmarks.

level ↗extent ↗degree ↗intensity ↗magnitude ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • to some degree
  • to a large degree
  • to what degree
  • by degrees
  • to varying degrees

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'degree' comes from Old French 'degre' (step, rank), from Latin 'gradus' (a step, a stage). The original sense was a step or rung on a ladder, which naturally extended to a stage in a process and later to a level on any scale. The academic meaning emerged in the 14th century, referring to a rank or grade conferred by a university. The temperature and angle measurement sense developed in the 16th century, based on the idea of a step-by-step division of a circle or thermometer scale.