graduation vs shading

graduation and shading both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
graduation	Yes	No	No	No
shading	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, shading is a hyponym of graduation; that is, shading is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than graduation:

graduation: the act of arranging in grades
shading: a gradation involving small or imperceptible differences between grades

Other hyponyms of graduation include blending.

graduation (noun)	shading (noun)
the act of arranging in grades	a gradation involving small or imperceptible differences between grades
the successful completion of a program of study	graded markings that indicate light or shaded areas in a drawing or painting
a line (as on a vessel or ruler) that marks a measurement
an academic exercise in which diplomas are conferred