grader

grader — noun

1. a child at school who is in a particular year or level — a first grader is a chi

1.nounA2
Definition

a child at school who is in a particular year or level — a first grader is a child in their first year of elementary school, a fifth grader is in their fifth year, and so on

Example

Trang's little brother is a first grader at Lincoln Elementary School.

compound noun: first grader — always use with grade number

The second graders went on a field trip to the science museum last Friday.

Common collocations
  • first grader
  • second grader
  • third grader
  • fourth grader
  • fifth grader
  • sixth grader
  • seventh grader
  • eighth grader
Synonyms
  • student

    much more general; does not specify the year level

  • pupil

    more formal and less common in US English; used more widely in British schools

  • schoolchild

    general term for a child attending school, without specifying grade

Grammar Patterns

first grader / second grader / etc.

Usage Note

Always used with an ordinal number (first, second, third, etc.). Common in US and Canadian English; speakers of British English typically use 'Year 1 student', 'Year 2 student', etc. instead.

Common Mistakes

She is a grader.
She is a second grader.
'grader' in this sense must be preceded by a grade number to be meaningful.
He is a grader in sixth standard.
He is a sixth grader.
'standard' is used in Indian English; in US/Canadian English the pattern is 'sixth grader'.

2. a person, usually a teacher, who reads and gives scores to students' written wor

2.nounB2
Definition

a person, usually a teacher, who reads and gives scores to students' written work, tests, or examination papers

Example

The exam grader noticed that several students had made the same algebra mistake.

British English: person who marks exam papers

Élise worked as a part-time grader for the national English proficiency test last summer.

Common collocations
  • exam grader
  • essay grader
  • test grader
  • part-time grader
  • experienced grader
Synonyms
  • marker

    more common in British English for the same role

  • examiner

    broader meaning; can refer to someone who designs or oversees an exam, not just marks it

  • scorer

    focuses on assigning numerical scores rather than qualitative feedback

  • evaluator

    more formal; used in academic or professional assessment contexts

Usage Note

This sense is primarily British English. In US English, 'marker' or 'scorer' is more common for the same meaning. The verb sense of 'grade' (= to mark work) is standard in US English, but the noun form 'grader' for a person is less frequent there.

Common Mistakes

The grader machine leveled the construction site.
The grader carefully read through all the exam essays.
'grader' as a person who marks work is unrelated to the construction machine called a 'grader'.

Word family

  • grade
    nounA2
  • grade
    verbB1
  • grading
    nounB2
  • graded
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Student' is the most general word for anyone who studies at a school, college, or university, and it does not specify the year level. 'Pupil' is more common in British English for younger school-age learners, though it can sound formal or old-fashioned in US English. 'Schoolchild' refers specifically to a child at school but, like 'student', does not indicate the grade. 'Learner' is broader still, covering anyone acquiring a skill or knowledge in any setting. When you need to say exactly which year a child is in, 'grader' (with a number) is the most precise choice in US and Canadian English. For example, 'a second grader' immediately tells you the child is in their second year of elementary school, whereas 'a young student' could mean almost anything.

student ↗pupil ↗schoolchild ↗learner ↗

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Grader is formed from the noun 'grade' (a level, step, or rank) plus the agent suffix '-er' (someone or something that does a particular thing). 'Grade' entered English from French, which borrowed it from Latin 'gradus', meaning a step or degree. The use of 'grade' for a school year level began in the early 1800s in the United States, and 'grader' soon followed as the word for a student at that level. The sense of a person who marks or scores work comes from the verb 'grade' (to assign a score or rank), which developed in the late 19th century.