diploma

noun

di·​plo·​ma də-ˈplō-mə 

plural diplomas

1

plural also diplomata də-ˈplō-mə-tə  : an official or state document : charter

2

: a writing usually under seal conferring some honor or privilege

3

: a document bearing record of graduation from or of a degree conferred by an educational institution

Examples of diploma in a Sentence

He earned his high school diploma by attending classes at night.

Recent Examples on the Web

Data isn’t yet available for seniors receiving their diplomas now. —Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2024

From that big, important college graduation to the cutest of pre-K commencements, so many celebrity kids are joining the ranks of diploma recipients this year. —Tabitha Parent, Peoplemag, 3 June 2024

As students in Columbia’s class of 2024 received their diplomas, many of them were grappling with what intense activism on campus would mean to their futures. —Emma Goldberg, New York Times, 28 May 2024

Receiving diplomas Thursday were graduates of the College of Social Sciences, the College of Health and Human Sciences and the College of Science. —Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 24 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, passport, diploma, from Greek diplōma folded paper, passport, from diploun to double, from diploos

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing diploma

• diploma mill

Kids Definition

diploma

noun

di·​plo·​ma də-ˈplō-mə 

: a document granting a special right, honor, or power

especially : a document that shows a person has finished a course or graduated from a school