emerita

American  

[ih-mer-i-tuh] / ɪˈmɛr ɪ tə /

adjective

1. (of a woman) retired or honorably discharged from active professional duty, but retaining the title of one's office or position.

   Kate Johnson, Professor Emerita of Music.

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noun

• emeritae
  plural

1. a woman with such status.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• emeritae
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of emerita

< Latin, feminine of ēmeritus emeritus

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Compare meaning

How does emerita compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• emerita vs. emeritus

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

emerita

The Rev. Patricia Coleman-Burns, a University of Michigan professor emerita who grew up in Detroit and has watched the region’s racial and political coalitions shift for more than 70 years, was a die-hard Stevens supporter.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

“The ABCs are very important,” said Teresa Amabile, a professor emerita at Harvard Business School.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

Ph.D, professor of medicine emerita at the Robert Larner, M.D.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026

“We’re using speech and writing so interchangeably,” said Naomi Baron, a linguistics professor emerita at American University.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

No sooner had the "lady," as Byron was pleased to call her, played her part as decoy, than she was discharged as emerita.

From The Works of Lord Byron. Vol. 3 by Ernest Hartley Coleridge

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Related Words

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