: the recipient of honor or recognition for achievement in an art or science
a Nobel laureate
specifically
: poet laureate
lau·re·ate
ˈlȯr-ē-ˌāt 
ˈlär-
laureated; laureating
1
: to crown with or as if with a laurel wreath for excellence or achievement
2
: to appoint to the office of poet laureate
1
: honored for outstanding achievement in an art or science
This was a term coined in the 1950s by Nobel laureate chemist Irving Langmuir …—
Gary Taubes
see also poet laureate
Gary Taubes2
: crowned with laurel
Minted in France in 1807, the front of the medal shows the laureate head of Emperor Napoleon and, on the reverse, an eagle clutching a thunderbolt, part of the emperor's imperial seal.—Brice Stump
Brice StumpExamples of laureate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebJim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
As this humanitarian crisis unfolded, many outside Myanmar looked to Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate who had won praise for her years of opposition to Myanmar’s military dictatorship, for a solution.
—Sebastian Strangio, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2020
Drew Goins, Washington Post, 2 July 2024
Impressively, four of the writers who have been named Nobel laureates in the past decade are on Fitzcarraldo’s roster.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for laureate 
Noun
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra music director laureate Edo de Waart has announced his retirement from conducting.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
As this humanitarian crisis unfolded, many outside Myanmar looked to Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate who had won praise for her years of opposition to Myanmar’s military dictatorship, for a solution.
—Sebastian Strangio, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2020
Verb
No quotes from long-ago laureates in this one — just Colby’s own brilliance.
—Drew Goins, Washington Post, 2 July 2024
Impressively, four of the writers who have been named Nobel laureates in the past decade are on Fitzcarraldo’s roster.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for laureate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'laureate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to laureate
Dictionary Entries Near laureate
Cite this Entry
“Laureate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laureate. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share