cum laude

adverb or adjective

cum lau·​de ku̇m-ˈlau̇-də 

-dē;

ˌkəm-ˈlȯ-dē

: with distinction

graduated cum laude

compare magna cum laude, summa cum laude

Examples of cum laude in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Natalia graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California in May and honored her late father during the ceremony, as seen in a June post from her mother Vanessa Bryant. —Natasha Dye, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025

Spence graduated cum laude from the University of Wyoming law school in 1952 but needed two tries to pass the state bar exam. —Nino Paoli, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2025

Though class ranks will be a thing of the past, de la Sanchez said all students with a grade-point average of 3.85 or higher on a 4-point scale will graduate summa cum laude, while those between 3.7 and 3.84 will be magna cum laude, and those from 3.5 to 3.69 will be cum laude. —Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025

Five days later, police arrested Luigi Mangione, a 26-year- old cum laude graduate of University of Pennsylvania with a master’s degree in computer science. —John Dorfman, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, with praise

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cum laude

• abroad
• applaud
• backboard
• ballade
• defraud
• ephod
• facade
• guffawed
• outlawed
• ramrod
• roughshod
• slipshod

Kids Definition

cum laude

adverb or adjective

ˌku̇m-ˈlau̇d-ē,

-ə;

ˌkəm-ˈlȯd-ē

: with distinction : with honors

graduated cum laude

Etymology

Latin, "with praise"