baccalaureate

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a farewell sermon to a graduating class at their commencement ceremonies
  2. noun an academic degree conferred on someone who has successfully completed undergraduate studies

Etymology

First attested in 1625; borrowed from French baccalauréat, from Medieval Latin baccalaureātus, from Medieval Latin baccalaureus, an alteration made to baccalārius (“young man aspiring to knighthood, apprentice, bachelor”) for it to resemble bacca lauri (“laurel berry”) (the ancient symbol of victory). See bachelor and -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office).

In classic literature

A single word — an entire dictionary opens.

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning

Continue reading