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

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

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summa cum laude British  

/ ˈsʊmɑː kʊm ˈlaʊdeɪ /

adverb

1. 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

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Etymology

Origin of summa cum laude

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

summa cum laude

He graduated summa cum laude from New York University in 1948, and earned a master’s in economics two years later and a Ph.D in economics in 1977.

From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026

He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

After graduation, though, she struggled to find her footing, eventually graduating summa cum laude from the City University of New York with a theater degree.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026

He received his BA summa cum laude from Indiana University in 1995 and his JD magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1998.

From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2025

Ultimately he graduated from Duke summa cum laude.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French