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cum laude

[koo m lou-dey, -duh, -dee; kuhm law-dee]
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adverb
  1. with honor: used in diplomas to grant the lowest of three special honors for grades above the average.
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Compare magna cum laude, summa cum laude.

Origin of cum laude

1890–95, Americanism; < Latin: with praise
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for cum laude

cum laude

adverb
  1. mainly US with praise: the lowest of three designations for above-average achievement in examinationsCompare magna cum laude, summa cum laude
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Word Origin

Latin
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

Word Origin and History for cum laude

1872, originally at Harvard, from Medieval Latin, literally "with praise," from Latin cum "with" + laude, ablative of laus (genitive laudis) "praise" (see laud). Probably from earlier use (in Latin) at Heidelberg and other German universities.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper