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

Chris backed her sons' acting careers Chris dedicated more than three decades as a public school teacher after earning a diploma from Harvard University and retired in 2008, her family added. — Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 24 July 2026

Siena College of Health was shut down in 2023 following an FBI investigation that found the nursing school was implicated in a scheme distributing more than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas. — Ella Moore july 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026

Their income will be compared to the median earnings of working adults aged 25 to 34 with only a high school diploma either in the state where the college is located or nationally if the intuition has high rates of out-of-state enrollment. — Francesca Pinney, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026

Students move through four years of coursework organized largely by age and subject area, accumulate credits, and graduate with a diploma that signals readiness for the next stage of life. — Gennaro Piraino, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

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

Rhymes for diploma

• aroma
• fibroma
• glaucoma
• glioma
• lipoma
• lymphoma
• myoma
• myxoma
• neuroma
• paloma
• schwannoma
• scotoma

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