Meaning & use
degrees
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“degrees” is a form of “degree”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Units used for measuring temperature, such as Celsius or Fahrenheit.
Grammar: Follows a number: it is thirty degrees outside.
Patterns
- number + degrees
- degrees Celsius
- degrees Fahrenheit
It was thirty degrees in the shade yesterday.
Water boils at one hundred degrees Celsius.
The temperature dropped ten degrees overnight.
nounpluraltechnical
Units used for measuring angles or positions on a circle or on the earth's surface.
Grammar: Follows a number: a ninety-degree angle, turn 180 degrees.
Patterns
- number + degrees
- turn through number degrees
A right angle measures ninety degrees.
The ship turned forty-five degrees to the left.
The city lies at about fifty degrees north.
nouncountable
Qualifications awarded by universities after finishing a course of study, such as a bachelor's or a master's.
Grammar: Plural of degree: she has two degrees, one in law and one in music.
Patterns
- degrees in something
- degrees from somewhere
Both of her degrees are in engineering.
He earned his degrees at different universities.
Many jobs now ask for degrees as a minimum.
nouncountable
Levels or amounts of a quality, feeling or condition.
Grammar: Often used with of: varying degrees of success.
Patterns
- degrees of something
- varying degrees
The students showed different degrees of interest.
The plan had varying degrees of success.
There are degrees of difficulty in these puzzles.
Word forms
| singular | degree |
|---|
Common combinations
- degrees Celsius
- The room is kept at twenty degrees Celsius.
- to varying degrees
- All of us were affected to varying degrees.
- ninety degrees
- Turn the handle ninety degrees to the right.
- degrees of freedom
- The robot arm has six degrees of freedom.
- earn degrees
- She earned two degrees while working full time.
Synonyms and how they differ
- levels
- Levels is a plainer word for amounts or stages, while degrees suggests a smooth scale between more and less.
- qualifications
- Qualifications covers any certificate or exam result, whereas degrees means only university awards.
- extents
- Extents focuses on how far something reaches, while degrees suggests points on a scale.
Word family
- degree noun
- one unit or level on a scale, or a university award
- graduate verb
- to receive a degree
- graduate noun
- a person who has a degree
- postgraduate adjective
- relating to study after a first degree
Commonly confused: degrees or diploma?
degrees vs diploma
A diploma is usually a shorter or lower-level qualification, while a degree comes from a university.
Practice
The weather forecast says it will reach thirty ___ this afternoon.
Choose one answer.
Degrees is the unit for temperature. Grades and levels are used for quality or rank, and steps is not a temperature unit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “degrees”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.