Word
baccalaureate
Phoneticsbac·calau·re·ate
US/ˌbækəˈɫɔɹiət/
UK/bˈækɐlˌɔːɹiːt/
Definitions
01high school qualification
n. an exam and qualification that students take at the end of high school to get into university.
n. a secondary school leaving qualification and examination, such as the French 'baccalauréat', designed to qualify students for higher education.
“She studied hard all year to pass her French baccalaureate with high marks.”
“The national baccalaureate remains the primary gateway for students seeking admission to the country's most prestigious universities.”
Synonyms
02International Baccalaureate (IB)
n. a specific international program for students aged 16 to 19 that is recognized by universities worldwide.
n. the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma programme, a globally recognised curriculum for students in their final years of secondary school.
“Many international schools offer the baccalaureate instead of local national exams.”
“The school's decision to adopt the International Baccalaureate was motivated by a desire to provide a more globally oriented curriculum.”
Synonyms
03university degree
n. a formal name for a bachelor's degree from a university.
n. a bachelor's degree; the first academic degree conferred by a university.
“He received his baccalaureate in science before starting his master's degree.”
“The university confers the baccalaureate upon students who have successfully completed the four-year undergraduate course of study.”
Formal
Synonyms
04graduation sermon
n. a religious talk or ceremony for students who are about to graduate.
n. a farewell sermon or religious service delivered to a graduating class at a school or college.
“The students gathered in the chapel for the traditional baccalaureate service.”
“The guest speaker at the baccalaureate ceremony delivered a moving address on the importance of ethical leadership.”
American English · Formal
Real-World Examples
“The Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study of 2016 provided academic and demographic data for 12,950 students who obtained a bachelor's degree in 2016.” “International schools are private schools that teach an international curriculum such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) or the curriculum of another country.” 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).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/baccalaureate