emeritus

[ ih-mer-i-tuhs ]
See synonyms for emeritus on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. retired or honorably discharged from active professional duty, but retaining the title of one's office or position: dean emeritus of the graduate school; editor in chief emeritus.

noun,plural e·mer·i·ti [ih-mer-i-tahy, -tee]. /ɪˈmɛr ɪˌtaɪ, -ˌti/.
  1. an emeritus professor, minister, etc.

Origin of emeritus

1
1785–95; <Latin ēmeritus having fully earned (past participle of ēmerēre), equivalent to ē-e-1 + meri- earn + -tus past participle suffix

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

British Dictionary definitions for emeritus

emeritus

/ (ɪˈmɛrɪtəs) /


adjective
  1. (usually postpositive) retired or honourably discharged from full-time work, but retaining one's title on an honorary basis: a professor emeritus

Origin of emeritus

1
C19: from Latin, from merēre to deserve; see merit

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