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baccalaureate

[ bak-uh-lawr-ee-it, -lor- ]
/ ˌbæk əˈlɔr i ɪt, -ˈlɒr- /
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noun
a religious service held at an educational institution, usually on the Sunday before commencement day.
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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

OTHER WORDS FROM baccalaureate

post·bac·ca·lau·re·ate, adjective

Words nearby baccalaureate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use baccalaureate in a sentence

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
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