definitions

baccalaureate

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

bachelor's degree.
a religious service held at an educational institution, usually on the Sunday before commencement day.
baccalaureate sermon.

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RELATED WORDS

sort, status, strength, level, grade, point, standard, credit, magnitude, qualification, position, scope, honor, quality, class, recipient, doctor, grad, alum, alumnus

Nearby words

bacabal, bacalao, bacall, bacardi, bacca, baccalaureate, baccalaureate sermon, baccalauréat, baccarat, baccate, bacchae

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 -ate1

Related forms

post·bac·ca·lau·re·ate, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for baccalaureate

British Dictionary definitions for baccalaureate

baccalaureate

/ (ˌbækəˈlɔːrɪɪt) /

noun

the university degree of Bachelor or Arts, Bachelor of Science, etc
an internationally recognized programme of study, comprising different subjects, offered as an alternative to a course of A levels in Britain
US a farewell sermon delivered at the commencement ceremonies in many colleges and universities

Word Origin for baccalaureate

C17: from Medieval Latin baccalaureātus, from baccalaureus advanced student, alteration of baccalārius bachelor; influenced in folk etymology by Latin bāca berry + laureus laurel
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012