Word.ws English Dictionary

grade on a curve

grade on a curve verb: to use a grading system based on the scale of performance of a group to normalize a right-skewed grade distribution (with more lower scores) into a bell curve, so that more can receive higher grades, regardless of their actual knowledge of the subject; to curve a grade.

Verb

grade on a curve (third-person singular simple present grades on a curve, present participle grading on a curve, simple past and past participle graded on a curve)

  1. To use a grading system based on the scale of performance of a group to normalize a right-skewed grade distribution (with more lower scores) into a bell curve, so that more can receive higher grades, regardless of their actual knowledge of the subject; to curve a grade.
    • He asked the teacher to grade (the test) on a curve.
  2. (broadly) To compare the members of a set or group by using a relative scale, based on performance relative to other members.

Forms of grade on a curve

third-person singular presentgrades on a curve
present participlegrading on a curve
past participlegraded on a curve
pastgraded on a curve

Origin of grade on a curve

Referring to the bell curve of a normal distribution.

Questions about grade on a curve

What does grade on a curve mean?
Grade on a curve means to use a grading system based on the scale of performance of a group to normalize a right-skewed grade distribution (with more lower scores) into a bell curve, so that more can receive higher grades, regardless of their actual knowledge of the subject; to curve a grade.
What part of speech is grade on a curve?
Grade on a curve is a verb.
What is the past tense of grade on a curve?
The past tense of grade on a curve is graded on a curve.

Words near grade on a curve in the dictionary

  1. grade grubs
  2. grade inflation
  3. grade line
  4. grade lines
  5. grade nine
  6. grade on a curve
  7. grade one
  8. grade point
  9. grade point average
  10. grade point averages
  11. grade points

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: grade on a curve (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Cite this entry: “grade on a curve.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/grade_on_a_curve. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.