What does baccalaureate mean?
Baccalaureate is a formal noun denoting the degree of bachelor conferred by a university or college upon completion of undergraduate study, as well as the examination that qualifies candidates for that degree. In the United States, it commonly refers to a four-year bachelor's degree and also to a ceremonial or religious service held for graduating students. In Europe and much of the world, however, the term more often names a rigorous secondary-school leaving examination, most famously the French baccalauréat and the International Baccalaureate, which together are frequently abbreviated as the IB. The word derives from medieval Latin roots combining 'bacca,' the laurel berry, with 'laurea,' the laurel wreath once bestowed on new graduates as a mark of honor. Because it spans both degree-granting and examination senses across educational systems, baccalaureate is a versatile term in academic writing and conversation about higher education worldwide.
nounThe degree of bachelor conferred by a university or college; also, an examination qualifying candidates for such a degree, especially the French baccalauréat or the international equivalent.
- A bachelor's degree awarded by a college or university upon completion of undergraduate study.
- An examination qualifying candidates for a baccalaureate degree, notably the French baccalauréat and the International Baccalaureate.
- A religious service held in honor of graduating students, chiefly in American schools and colleges.
"After four years of study, she finally received her baccalaureate in chemistry."
"He earned his baccalaureate in history from the state university before going on to law school."
"Students across France sit the baccalauréat each June, the exam that gates entry to higher education."
Rarely pluralized in everyday use; the plural appears mainly when referring to multiple examinations or degrees collectively.
"Over a thousand baccalaureates were awarded at this year's commencement ceremony."
The word baccalaureate literally fuses two medieval symbols of success — the bacca (berry) and the laurea (laurel) — because universities once crowned their new graduates with laurel wreaths.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of baccalaureate
Baccalaureate comes from medieval Latin, where it was formed from 'bacca lauri' — the berry of the laurel — reflecting the practice of crowning new graduates with laurel wreaths, a custom inherited from classical antiquity. The term passed into French as baccalauréat and into English by the early modern period, becoming established in British and later American academic vocabulary. Its cognates include the French baccalauréat and related words built on the laurel motif of achievement.
How baccalaureate is actually used
In American usage, 'baccalaureate' most often means a bachelor's degree or the commencement-related religious service. In European contexts it usually refers to the secondary-school leaving examination, as with the French baccalauréat or the International Baccalaureate, so context matters when reading the term across regions. The word is formal in register.
Easily confused with baccalaureate
Bacchanalia refers to the ancient Roman festivals of Bacchus, whereas baccalaureate denotes an academic degree or its qualifying examination — the shared 'bacc-' spelling is coincidental.
Laureate describes someone honored with a laurel crown (as in Nobel laureate), while baccalaureate is the bachelor's-level academic degree itself, though both trace back to the laurel symbol of achievement.