honorary degree
noun
: a degree given by a college or university to someone who is not a student but who has done something important
Examples of honorary degree in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The university has also canceled a main-stage commencement address by director Jon M. Chu and appearances by honorary degree recipients, including tennis star Billie Jean King.
—
Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Hanks — who was also awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Arts at the event — poked fun at his own academic record and made a fun reference to another one of his roles, fictional Harvard professor Robert Langdon (as seen in The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and Inferno).
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 25 May 2023
He was dropped from lucrative partnership deals with Adidas and Gap, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago rescinded his honorary degree.
—Rishikesh Rajagopalan, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2024
In 2017, the university awarded Zuckerberg an honorary degree.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 29 Jan. 2024
And who has an honorary degree from the Parsons School of Design?
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Oct. 2023
In May, Hanks added yet another accolade to his ever-growing pile — an honorary degree from Harvard.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2023
The prince was the second choice to give the keynote address at Harvard University’s 350th anniversary celebration after its governing body refused to give President Ronald Reagan an honorary degree due to his educational policies.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2023
He was awarded an honorary degree from the institution in 2009.
—Amanda Gokee, BostonGlobe.com, 21 July 2023
Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Hanks — who was also awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Arts at the event — poked fun at his own academic record and made a fun reference to another one of his roles, fictional Harvard professor Robert Langdon (as seen in The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and Inferno).
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 25 May 2023
He was dropped from lucrative partnership deals with Adidas and Gap, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago rescinded his honorary degree.
—Rishikesh Rajagopalan, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2024
In 2017, the university awarded Zuckerberg an honorary degree.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 29 Jan. 2024
And who has an honorary degree from the Parsons School of Design?
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Oct. 2023
In May, Hanks added yet another accolade to his ever-growing pile — an honorary degree from Harvard.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2023
The prince was the second choice to give the keynote address at Harvard University’s 350th anniversary celebration after its governing body refused to give President Ronald Reagan an honorary degree due to his educational policies.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2023
He was awarded an honorary degree from the institution in 2009.
—Amanda Gokee, BostonGlobe.com, 21 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'honorary degree.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near honorary degree
Cite this Entry
“Honorary degree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honorary%20degree. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
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