What does aegrotat mean?
An aegrotat is a certificate issued by a physician confirming that a student is too ill to sit an examination, and by extension the special dispensation or ungraded pass that universities grant on the strength of it. The word is almost exclusively British and is heard most often at older universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, where a candidate who misses finals through serious illness may be awarded a degree 'on an aegrotat' rather than being classified in the usual way. Derived from the Latin phrase meaning 'he or she is ill', the term carries a formal, institutional tone; outside academia most speakers would simply say 'a sick note' or 'a doctor's note'. It remains useful precisely because it names both the document and the resulting concession in a single word.
nounA certificate from a physician stating that a student is too ill to attend an examination; by extension, the exemption or ungraded pass thereby granted to the student.
- A doctor's certificate certifying that a student is unfit to take an examination.
- The ungraded pass or exemption awarded to a student on the basis of such a certificate.
"She was granted an aegrotat after missing her finals with pneumonia."
"He submitted an aegrotat to explain his absence from the final examination."
"Oxford awarded her the degree on an aegrotat after illness prevented her from sitting finals."
The regular anglicized plural is standard; the Latinate 'aegrota' appears occasionally but is rare.
"The examinations office processed several aegrotats during flu season."
In Britain you can literally graduate 'on an aegrotat' — a degree awarded because illness kept you from sitting your finals.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of aegrotat
Aegrotat comes directly from Latin aegrotat, meaning 'he or she is ill', the third-person form of aegrotare ('to be sick'), itself built on aeger ('sick'). The phrase was adopted into British university usage, likely in the 19th century, as the standard wording of medical certificates presented to examination boards. Its Latin origin explains its formal register and its retention within academic administration rather than general speech.
Related word forms
How aegrotat is actually used
Chiefly British and largely confined to university contexts, especially Oxford and Cambridge. Formal in register; in everyday speech people more often say 'sick note' or 'doctor's note'. The plural is usually anglicized as 'aegrotats', though the Latinate 'aegrota' occasionally appears.
Easily confused with aegrotat
An aegis is protection or sponsorship (from Greek), while an aegrotat is a British academic medical certificate of illness.