Synonyms

summa cum laude

American

[soom-uh koom lou-dey, -duh, -dee, suhm-uh kuhm law-dee] / ˈsʊm ə kʊm ˈlaʊ deɪ, -də, -di, ˈsʌm ə kʌm ˈlɔ di /

adverb

with highest praise: used in diplomas to grant the highest of three special honors for grades above the average.

summa cum laude British

/ ˈsʊmɑː kʊm ˈlaʊdeɪ /

adverb

with the utmost praise: the highest of three designations for above-average achievement in examinations. In Britain it is sometimes used to designate a first-class honours degree Compare cum laude magna cum laude

"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

Etymology

Origin of summa cum laude

First recorded in 1895–1900, summa cum laude is from Latin summā cum laude

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.

She graduated summa cum laude from Duke University, where she studied public policy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

I spoke with Charlotte Woodward, who graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and now works as Education Program Associate for National Down Syndrome Society.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2025

She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2021 with a triple major — political science, French and psychology — and a minor in history.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 21, 2024

He graduated summa cum laude in 1950 with a degree in government.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2023

In 1937, at age eighteen, I graduated from West Virginia State summa cum laude with degrees in mathematics and French.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023