Word
doctorate
Phoneticsdoc·tor·ate
US/ˈdɑktɝət/
UK/dˈɒktəɹˌeɪt/
Definitions
01academic degree
n. the highest degree you can get at a university, showing you are an expert in your subject.
n. the highest academic degree conferred by a university, typically following the completion of a doctoral thesis or dissertation.
“After five years of hard research, she finally received her doctorate in chemistry.”
“The candidate successfully defended her thesis, earning a doctorate that solidified her reputation as a leading expert in medieval literature.”
Academic
Synonyms
02to confer a degree
v. to give someone the title of doctor.
v. to confer a doctoral degree upon an individual.
“The university prepared to doctorate the new graduates during the spring ceremony.”
“In the university's early history, the faculty would doctorate candidates through a rigorous series of public oral examinations.”
Archaic
Usage
This verb form is rarely encountered in modern English; the noun form is almost always preferred.
Teaching tip
Modern speakers use 'award a doctorate' or 'confer a degree' rather than using 'doctorate' as a verb.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“A review conducted by Liverpool John Moores University, where he completed his doctorate, upheld its decision to award him a PhD earlier this year.” “After leaving school, Arday went on to further study before completing a doctorate in education at Liverpool John Moores University in 2015.” Etymology
From Latin doctōrātus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
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englishreference.com/q/doctorate