: 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
CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Bangladesh is currently under the governance of an interim body led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who took over days after Hasina’s fall in August 2024.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 17 Nov. 2025
The analysis from Alpine Macro, which is part of Oxford Economics, reinforces what computer scientist and Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton has been saying about AI’s impact on the labor market and the role of companies leading the charge.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025
Their video has racked up nearly 80 million views on TikTok, with fans stunned to see the Nobel Prize laureate standing back-to-back with the late-night host.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laureate
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Noun
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
Bangladesh is currently under the governance of an interim body led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who took over days after Hasina’s fall in August 2024.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 17 Nov. 2025
The analysis from Alpine Macro, which is part of Oxford Economics, reinforces what computer scientist and Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton has been saying about AI’s impact on the labor market and the role of companies leading the charge.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025
Their video has racked up nearly 80 million views on TikTok, with fans stunned to see the Nobel Prize laureate standing back-to-back with the late-night host.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 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 22 Nov. 2025.
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