doctorate
Americannoun
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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.
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an honorary degree conferring the title of doctor upon the recipient, as with the LL.D. degree.
noun
Other Word Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing doctorate
The Chosen
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Silent to the Bone
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We Are Okay
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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.
In 2002, he left China to pursue a doctorate at Fuller Theological Seminary in California.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
TAE CEO Michl Binderbauer, who has a doctorate in physics from UC Irvine, holds more than 100 U.S. and international patents, according to the company.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
He also received an honorary doctorate from the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, which he hailed as a reflection of the "solid alliance" between Taiwan and Paraguay.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
Despite her doctorate in positive psychology, which she says has given her tools to help her handle the ongoing ordeal, there are days of dark despair.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
"Venkat's got a doctorate in physics, Tim," Bruce said.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
