lau·re·a·tion \ˌlȯrēˈāshən, ˌlär-\noun (-s) Etymology:laureate (III) + -ion 1.: an act of crowning with or as if with laurel as a mark of honor or achievement 2.archaic: the conferring of an academic degree < the right of laureation conceded to the University of Vienna by Maximilian I — William Hamilton †1856 >