卒業生

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: It is read そつぎょうせい. 卒業 combines with the person-denoting 生 to name someone who has completed a school's course of study.
• Basic usage: It refers to a graduate or a group of people who have graduated from a school. In the example, many graduates gather for a ceremony.
  • 式典には多くの卒業生が集まった。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Not limited to recent graduates
  • 卒業生 includes people who graduated long ago, not only this year's graduates.