Informal plural of graduates; people who have completed a course of study or training program.
Shortened form of 'graduates,' from Latin 'graduatus' meaning 'having taken a degree,' from 'gradus' meaning 'step' or 'degree.' The informal clipping became common in American English in the mid-20th century.
The word 'grad' perfectly captures how education is conceptualized as a series of steps or stages, with graduation literally meaning 'taking steps.' Interestingly, the same root gives us 'grade,' 'gradual,' and even 'degrade' - all relating to levels or steps in some progression.
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