: 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 Web
Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 5 Dec. 2025
The story is rooted in the filmmaker’s own encounters with several women who fought against ISIS, and was inspired by the courage of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist Nadia Murad, who was abducted by the terrorist group during the Yazidi genocide of 2014.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025
The country is now run by an interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus who declared the next parliamentary election will be held in February.
—CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took over as the head of an interim government three days after her fall.
—CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laureate
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Noun
Principal guest conductor for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Utah Symphony, Lazarova brings a fiery presence and taut precision that recalls conductor laureate Osmo Vanska.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 5 Dec. 2025
The story is rooted in the filmmaker’s own encounters with several women who fought against ISIS, and was inspired by the courage of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist Nadia Murad, who was abducted by the terrorist group during the Yazidi genocide of 2014.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025
The country is now run by an interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus who declared the next parliamentary election will be held in February.
—CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took over as the head of an interim government three days after her fall.
—CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laureate
Cite this Entry
“Laureate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laureate. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
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