: 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
Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek first proposed the concept of a time crystal in 2012.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
The main competition jury, led by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alexander Payne, will anoint the next Golden Lion laureate while handing out prizes for acting, directing, screenwriting and more.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025
For more than six decades, the Dalai Lama—a charismatic and widely revered Nobel laureate—has unified the Tibetan exile community and boosted the Tibetan cause around the world.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
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Noun
Behavioral Economics Of Loss Aversion Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky’s prospect theory revolutionized our understanding of why losses—like a sports team’s heartbreaking defeat—inflict disproportionate pain.
—Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek first proposed the concept of a time crystal in 2012.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
The main competition jury, led by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alexander Payne, will anoint the next Golden Lion laureate while handing out prizes for acting, directing, screenwriting and more.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025
For more than six decades, the Dalai Lama—a charismatic and widely revered Nobel laureate—has unified the Tibetan exile community and boosted the Tibetan cause around the world.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 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 18 Sep. 2025.
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