What is the degree of the polynomial x² - 7x - 18?

The degree of a polynomial is determined by the highest exponent of the variable in the expression. In the polynomial given, (x^2 - 7x - 18), the term with the highest exponent is (x^2), where the exponent is 2. This means that the degree of the polynomial is 2, indicating that it is a quadratic polynomial. Quadratic polynomials generally have a degree of two, as they can be expressed in the standard form (ax^2 + bx + c). Hence, the correct answer is indeed 2.