doctorate

American  

[dok-ter-it] / ˈdɒk tər ɪt /

noun

• doctorates
  plural

1. any of several academic degrees of the highest rank, as the Ph.D. or Ed.D., awarded by universities and some colleges for completing advanced work in graduate school or a professional school.

2. an honorary degree conferring the title of doctor upon the recipient, as with the LL.D. degree.

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doctorate British  

/ ˈdɒktərɪt, -trɪt /

noun

1. Also called: doctor's degree.  the highest academic degree in any field of knowledge

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• predoctorate
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• doctorates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of doctorate

First recorded in 1670–80; from Medieval Latin doctōrātus; see doctor, -ate ³

Explanation

A doctorate is an advanced university degree. Another name for a doctorate is a PhD. If you stick in school long enough, you just might end up with a doctorate (and a whole lot of debt). Many years of specialized study can result in a doctorate, which qualifies the graduate to teach at a college or university. To be awarded a doctorate, a student has to complete a dissertation or thesis, a huge research project that focuses on her area of study. Someone who has a doctorate is known as a "Doctor of Philosophy," and the word itself comes from the Medieval Latin root doctoratus, or "made a doctor."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

doctorate doctorates

He later earned a Columbia University medical degree and a doctorate in public health at Oxford University.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Helton, who has a doctorate in education, said she is highly skilled and trustworthy.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

Across the river at the University of Manchester, the price increases by a pound for undergraduates and postgraduates, but those with a doctorate pay £57.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Constantino, who recently defended his doctorate at UK, said that this atmosphere gave him the confidence to pursue challenging questions that crossed multiple fields.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026

“We were all supposed to get familiar with his technique,” recalled Jackson Laslett, who earned his doctorate at the Rad Lab.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

The International Mathematical Union awarded its Fields Medal on Thursday at a ceremony in Philadelphia to four people, including Yu Deng and Hong Wang, who both attended Peking University before earning doctorates in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

"I'm not his spokesperson," he added, noting that he has doctorates in Zulu music and cultural tourism.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2025

Lifetime Achievement Award and honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music and the University of Massachusetts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2025

At one point, he testified in court, he was enrolled in 19 universities at once, pursuing five doctorates simultaneously.

From New York Times ● May 21, 2024

He talked often of how he could not go to university because he had to find a job to support his siblings, and how people he was cleverer than in secondary school now had doctorates.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie