laureate

1 of 4

noun (1)

lau·​re·​ate ˈlȯr-ē-ət 

ˈlär-

: the recipient of honor or recognition for achievement in an art or science

a Nobel laureate

specifically : poet laureate

laureateship

ˈlȯr-ē-ət-ˌship 

ˈlär-

noun

laureate

2 of 4

verb

lau·​re·​ate ˈlȯr-ē-ˌāt 

ˈlär-

laureated; laureating

transitive verb

1

: to crown with or as if with a laurel wreath for excellence or achievement

2

: to appoint to the office of poet laureate

laureation

ˌlȯr-ē-ˈā-shən 

ˌlär-

noun

laureate

3 of 4

adjective

lau·​re·​ate ˈlȯr-ē-ət 

ˈlär-

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

2

: 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

laureateship

4 of 4

noun (2)

lau·​re·​ate·​ship -rēə̇tˌship 

: the office of poet laureate

Examples of laureate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Nobel laureate Ernest Rutherford had already shown that radioactive materials sometimes emitted particles, naturally changing the makeup of their atomic nuclei. — Andrea Richard, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026

Only 20 of the prize’s 112 individual laureates have been women in its 125-year history. — Mark Lewis, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026

Ideally, the federal government would move quickly to answer the cry for regulation from researchers, Nobel laureates and even the AI company CEOs themselves. — Matt Post, Baltimore Sun, 1 Oct. 2026

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel laureate, presented Trump with her medal at the White House in January. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Verb

Middle English, crowned with laurel as a distinction, from Latin laureatus, from laurea laurel wreath, from feminine of laureus of laurel, from laurus

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1529, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1508, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing laureate

• poet laureate

Rhymes for laureate

• baccalaureate

Kids Definition

laureate

noun

lau·​re·​ate

ˈlȯr-ē-ət, 

ˈlär-

: a person honored for achievement in an art or science

especially : poet laureate

laureate adjective