baccalaureate
Americannoun
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a religious service held at an educational institution, usually on the Sunday before commencement day.
noun
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the university degree of Bachelor or Arts, Bachelor of Science, etc
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an internationally recognized programme of study, comprising different subjects, offered as an alternative to a course of A levels in Britain
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a farewell sermon delivered at the commencement ceremonies in many colleges and universities
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing baccalaureate
Warriors Don't Cry (Abridged)
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Warriors Don't Cry
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Vocabulary from Readings 3, Unit 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The experience of college-level science courses, the completion of baccalaureate or more advanced degrees, and the development of civic scientific literacy were strong predictors of increased acceptance of evolution.
From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2024
Students taking a baccalaureate study a wider range of subjects than for A-levels.
From BBC • Sep. 29, 2023
The Commission suggested two ways a British baccalaureate could work:
From BBC • Sep. 29, 2023
West Los Angeles College’s dental hygiene program was also among the first group of baccalaureate programs, with about 100 students each year.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2023
“None of you will be allowed to attend either the graduation commencement or the baccalaureate service,” Mother Lois announced over dinner.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
