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

Each prize consists of a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award. —Melina Khan, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025

Buffett also referenced Microsoft entrepreneur Bill Gates, who achieved billion-dollar success without a college diploma. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025

Kapil holds a dual bachelor's degree in Electrical, Electronics, and Communication Engineering and a master’s diploma in journalism from the Institute of Journalism and New Media in Bangalore. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2025

In Flanders, with nearly seven million residents, only about a thousand actively use Solid; one feature lets graduates send digital diplomas to employers. —Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025

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