: being a system of grading whereby the grades "pass" and "fail" replace the traditional letter grades
pass-fail noun

Examples of pass-fail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Goldhaber suggests that rather than a pass-fail approach, teacher candidates should be able to submit their scores as an additional piece of information for programs to consider – similar to how ACT and SAT scores are used by college admissions officers. Emily Tate Sullivan, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024 On Sunday, undergraduate college officials announced students can avoid letter grades on their transcript and select a pass-fail option for up to two classes this semester. Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 6 May 2024 Goldhaber suggests that rather than a pass-fail approach, teacher candidates should be able to submit their scores as an additional piece of information for programs to consider — similar to how ACT and SAT scores are used by college admissions officers. Emily Tate Sullivan, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024 Environmental Science This class is famously easy, as it’s graded pass-fail and the only requirement for passing is agreeing that everything is totally fine with the environment and asserting that anyone who believes differently is being paid by the deep state. Skyler Higley, The New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2023 Note these standards can be iterative and supportive of innovation, rather than the approval process used for drugs which is more of a pass-fail process. Thomas R. Insel, STAT, 12 Apr. 2023 We are no longer constrained by gender, perfection, and homogeny: beauty is not a box to be checked, a pass-fail test based on antiquated norms. Photovogue, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pass-fail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pass-fail was in 1930

Dictionary Entries Near pass-fail

Cite this Entry

“Pass-fail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pass-fail. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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