baccalaureate

American  

[bak-uh-lawr-ee-it, -lor-] / ˌbæk əˈlɔr i ɪt, -ˈlɒr- /

noun

1. bachelor's degree.

2. a religious service held at an educational institution, usually on the Sunday before commencement day.

3. baccalaureate sermon.

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baccalaureate British  

/ ˌbækəˈlɔːrɪɪt /

noun

1. the university degree of Bachelor or Arts, Bachelor of Science, etc

2. an internationally recognized programme of study, comprising different subjects, offered as an alternative to a course of A levels in Britain

3. a farewell sermon delivered at the commencement ceremonies in many colleges and universities

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• postbaccalaureate
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of baccalaureate

1615–25; < Medieval Latin baccalaureātus, equivalent to baccalaure ( us ) advanced student, bachelor (for baccalārius ( see bachelor), alteration by association with Latin phrase bacca laureus laurel berry) + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

The noun baccalaureate means the same thing as a bachelor's degree from college. It can also refer to a "baccalaureate service," which is a like a farewell ceremony for graduating seniors from high school or college. You can “receive a baccalaureate” or you can “attend a baccalaureate.” If you receive a baccalaureate that means you have received a bachelor's degree for undergraduate studies in college. When you attend a baccalaureate, that means you are attending a ceremony celebrating graduating seniors. Traditionally, a baccalaureate was a religious service held the Sunday before graduation, but in modern times it doesn’t necessarily have a religious meaning.

Related Words

• class
• credit
• grade
• honor
• level
• magnitude
• point
• position
• qualification
• quality
• scope
• sort
• standard
• status
• strength