laureate

1 of 3

noun

lau·​re·​ate ˈlȯr-ē-ət How to pronounce laureate (audio)
ˈlär-
: the recipient of honor or recognition for achievement in an art or science
a Nobel laureate
specifically : poet laureate
laureateship noun

laureate

2 of 3

verb

lau·​re·​ate ˈlȯr-ē-ˌāt How to pronounce laureate (audio)
ˈlär-
laureated; laureating

transitive verb

1
: to crown with or as if with a laurel wreath for excellence or achievement
2
: to appoint to the office of poet laureate
laureation noun

laureate

3 of 3

adjective

lau·​re·​ate ˈlȯr-ē-ət How to pronounce laureate (audio)
ˈlär-
1
: honored for outstanding achievement in an art or science
This was a term coined in the 1950s by Nobel laureate chemist Irving Langmuir …Gary Taubes
see also poet laureate
2
: crowned with laurel
Minted in France in 1807, the front of the medal shows the laureate head of Emperor Napoleon and, on the reverse, an eagle clutching a thunderbolt, part of the emperor's imperial seal.Brice Stump

Examples of laureate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Prior to its discovery by the laureates Victor Ambros of the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester and Gary Ruvkun of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, scientists had an incomplete understanding of the process that controls how cells make proteins. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2024 The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is now in a similarly precarious position, as her health deteriorates within the confines of Iran’s notorious prison system. Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
For those on the frontlines of the fight against global food insecurity— World Food Prize laureates— this is more than just a minor oversight. Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 The works have also been rarely seen by anyone one than campus staff, visitors, and leading scientists, among them 26 Nobel laureates in medicine and chemistry. Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for laureate 

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, crowned with laurel as a distinction, from Latin laureatus, from laurea laurel wreath, from feminine of laureus of laurel, from laurus

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1529, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1508, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of laureate was in 1508

Dictionary Entries Near laureate

Cite this Entry

“Laureate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laureate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

laureate

noun
lau·​re·​ate
ˈlȯr-ē-ət,
ˈlär-
: a person honored for achievement in an art or science
especially : poet laureate
laureate adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!