PhD

abbreviation or noun

ˌpē-ˌāch-ˈdē 

variants or Ph.D.

plural PhDs or Ph.D.s

: the academic degree, title, or rank of doctor of philosophy

He was awarded a PhD in economics.

Jane Smith, Ph.D.

also : a person who has earned the academic degree of doctor of philosophy

The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Watson School of Biological Sciences graduated its first PhDs (14 of them) in June 2004 …

—Horace Freeland Judson

Examples of PhD in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Chloe Chapin holds a PhD in American Studies from Harvard University and master's degrees in fashion and textile studies from the Fashion Institute of Technology and costume design from the Yale School of Drama. — Literary Hub, 25 June 2026

Jo Ilfeld, PhD, CEO of Incite To Leadership, helps companies maintain momentum & competitive advantage through executive team performance. — Jo Ilfeld, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

That led Biderman to eventually pursue a PhD in computational neuroscience at Columbia University and later to join Stanford University's AI lab. — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 23 June 2026

Marco-Antonio Hartmann, PhD, a pediatric psychologist at Phoenix Children's, one of the nation's largest pediatric health systems, puts it plainly. — Staff Author, Parents, 13 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin philosophiae doctor

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above