Ph.D.

[ pee-eych-dee ]

abbreviation for

, plural Ph.D.s

1. the highest degree, a doctorate, awarded by a graduate school in a field of academic study, usually to a person who has completed at least three years of graduate study and a dissertation approved by a committee of professors.
2. a person who has been awarded this degree.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Ph.D.¹

First recorded in 1870–75; from Latin Philosophiae Doctor

Example Sentences

He had a Ph. D in history and was a college professor before entering politics.

From The Daily Beast

Moses has a Ph. D from Harvard, has published books and lectured widely, and is rare in our nation today.

From The Daily Beast

This kind of reading naturally did not bring me any nearer my Ph. D.

From Project Gutenberg

And master's degree and you have completed a good deal of work on a Ph. D.?

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• alum
• alumna
• alumnus
• doctor
• grad
• recipient