baccalaureates
|bæk-ə-lɔː-ri-ət|
🇺🇸
/ˌbækəˈlɔːriət/
🇬🇧
/ˌbækəˈlɔːrɪət/
(baccalaureate)
academic degree
Etymology
'baccalaureate' originates from Medieval Latin, specifically the word 'baccalaureatus' (related to 'baccalaureus'), where elements like 'bacca' meant 'berry' and 'laurea' meant 'laurel'.
'baccalaureate' passed into French as 'baccalauréat' and then into modern English as 'baccalaureate' (via Middle French/Modern French usage).
Initially it referred to the rank or degree of 'bachelor' (and the person holding it); over time it additionally came to denote the ceremony or sermon associated with graduation, while still retaining the degree sense.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the academic degree of bachelor awarded by a college or university (a bachelor's degree).
The university awarded baccalaureates to more than 2,000 graduates this year.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a ceremony, service, or sermon held for graduating students, often shortly before commencement (also called a baccalaureate service).
Several departments held baccalaureates on the evening before commencement.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/24 09:54