cum laudeadv.adj.n.
/ˌkʌm ˈlaʊdeɪ/, /ˌkʊm ˈlaʊdeɪ/, /ˌkʌm ˈlɔːdeɪ/, /ˌkʊm ˈlɔːdeɪ/, U.S. /kʊm ˈlaʊdeɪ/, /kʊm ˈlaʊdi/, /kʊm ˈlaʊdə/, /kʊm ˈlɔdeɪ/, /kʊm ˈlɔdi/, /kʊm ˈlɔdə/; see also cum prep. Chiefly U.S. Education.
A. adv.
With distinction; with honours (cf. honour n. 5c).Usually used with reference to an academic degree or diploma, now chiefly as the lowest in a three-level system of honours bestowed by universities upon graduation, of which magna cum laude is higher, and summa cum laude highest.
ΚΠ
1838 G. Oliver Coll. Biogr. Sc., Eng. & Irish Members 8/2 Gordon, James, after long serving the Scotch mission, cum laude, was minister on the College of Arras.
1845 New Statist. Acct. Scotl. X. 814 (note) Long practised in the profession of humanity, cum laude.
1855 N.Y. Times 1 Sept. 2/3 Too many are content to graduate cum laude, and multitudes would be satisfied to graduate sine laude, provided they might be admitted to graduate at all.
1880 Harvard Reg. Jan. 2/2 The degree cum laude [is to be given] to those attaining seventy-five per cent.
1927 L. C. Hatch Hist. Bowdoin College vii. 237 Students receiving A or B in three-fourths of their courses should graduate cum laude, those receiving A in one-half their courses should graduate magna cum laude, and those obtaining A in three-fourths of their courses should be given a summa cum laude.
2005 Roanoke (Va.) Times (Nexis) 7 May b2 [He]..will receive his degree cum laude.
B. adj.
Designating a degree or diploma granted cum laude, or a person graduating cum laude.
ΚΠ
1894 N.Y. Times 15 Aug. 9/2 He was graduated from this institution with a cum laude degree.
1927 Amer. Jrnl. Psychol. 38 409 Lowell..found a tendency for the future cum laude men to take more courses in the classics and mathematics than the ‘plain’ men.
1971 D. L. Smith Radical Sociol. i. 32 [He] was a cum laude graduate from Harvard.
2003 D. Brown Da Vinci Code (2004) lxxxvii. 478 He had a cum laude degree in international finance.
C. n.
A cum laude degree, diploma, or honour; a cum laude student or graduate.
ΘΚΠ
society > education > educational administration > university administration > taking degree or graduation > [noun] > a degree > types of
first degree1530
honorary degreea1661
poll degree1834
poll1843
honours degree1851
summa cum laude1856
pass degree1865
terminal degree1904
Hons. degree1913
cum laude1927
summa1968
1927 L. C. Hatch Hist. Bowdoin College vii. 237 A rank of A or B in seven-eighths of the courses was made necessary for a cum laude.
1932 I. M. Tarbell Owen D. Young ii. 26 Probably he would have had a cum laude on graduating if such an honor had been given.
1974 Herald-Times-Reporter (Manitowoc, Wisconsin) 16 May 3/5 Eight of the students were cum laudes.
2001 C. C. Case Tuscany Affair 9 It didn't take a cum laude to realize that a European trip was not a good idea this year.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adv.adj.n.1838