what does the word undergraduate mean

A student at a college or university who has not taken a first, or especially a bachelors degree

To determine the meaning of the word "undergraduate," we can break it down into its two components: "under" and "graduate."

"Graduate" refers to a person who has completed a degree or a course of study at a college or university.

The prefix "under-" indicates a position or status that is below or before another. In this case, it means someone who has not yet completed their degree.

So, putting the two parts together, an undergraduate is a student who is enrolled in a college or university but has not yet earned a bachelor's degree or any other higher-level degree.