ENGLISH
REFERENCE

laureate

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˈɫɔɹiət// UK //lˈɔːɹiːt// lau·re·ate Archaic

n. a person who has won a very important prize or honor for their work. It is most often used for people who win a Nobel Prize or a special poetry award.

n. a person who is honored with an award for outstanding creative or intellectual achievement. Often used in specific titles such as 'Nobel laureate' or 'Poet Laureate'.


SIMPLE

The Nobel laureate gave a speech about world peace.

CONTEXTUAL

After winning the prestigious award, the laureate spent the year traveling to universities to share her research with students.

COMPLEX

The university invited several Nobel laureates to the symposium, hoping their presence would inspire the next generation of researchers to pursue high-impact scientific inquiries.

Origin

First attested during the end of the 15th century, in Middle English; borrowed from Latin laureātus, from laurea (“laurel crown, wreath”, a high reward given to poets and later to the triumphant) + -ātus (forming adjectives indicating possession) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix)), from laureus (“of laurel”), from laurus (“laurel”). The verb was formed by metanalysis, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Cognate with French lauréat.

Usage

Often functions as a postpositive modifier in formal titles, such as 'Poet Laureate'.

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