magna cum laude

adverb or adjective mag·na cum lau·de \ ˈmäg-nə-(ˌ)ku̇m-ˈlau̇-də , -ˈlau̇-dē ; ˈmag-nə-ˌkəm-ˈlȯ-dē \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

: with great distinction (see distinction 5b)

graduated magna cum laude

— compare cum laude, summa cum laude

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Recent Examples of magna cum laude from the Web

The bride graduated magna cum laude from Yale, and received a medical degree from Johns Hopkins.

— New York Times, "Sarah Collica, Kurt Lehner," 3 June 2018
Meghan McHugh graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s of science degree in mechanical engineering.

— michelle mullins, Naperville Sun, "Naperville People in the News," 1 June 2018
In 1981, Templeton graduated magna cum laude at the age of 51.

— susie schmank, Indianapolis Star, "Lois Main Templeton let me scratch the canvas of one of her paintings at her exhibit," 8 May 2018
Mack graduated magna cum laude with honors in history from Columbia University.

— Fox News, "Ivy League educated dancer to head Juilliard division," 11 Apr. 2018
McLoughlin graduated magna cum laude in 2012 from the University of Maryland and worked at an insurance company.

— Washington Post, "Victims’ families in D.C. ‘death trap’ rowhouse fire awarded $15.2 million," 5 Apr. 2018
Conway graduated magna cum laude from Trinity College in Washington, D.C., earning a degree in political science, according to CNBC.

— michael sebastian, Cosmopolitan, "Who Is Kellyanne Conway? 21 Things to Know About Donald Trump's Presidential Counselor.," 6 Mar. 2018
Texas Head coach Shaka Smart was a four-year starter and three-year team captain at Kenyon College (Gambier, Ohio), Smart graduated magna cum laude in 1999 with a degree in history.

— james weber, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky ties to March Madness: You might be surprised by this list.," 13 Mar. 2018
And, at the May 2018 commencement, Rondini will be awarded a magna cum laude bachelor of science degree with an accompanying certificate from the university's Honors College.

— carol robinson, AL.com, "Megan Rondini's family, Alabama reach settlement on second anniversary of her death," 27 Feb. 2018

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Origin and Etymology of magna cum laude

Latin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1856

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Education Terms

baccalaureate, colloquium, corequisite, dissertation, monograph, pedant, practicum, survey course, thesis

Financial Definition of MAGNA CUM LAUDE

magna cum laude

adverb or adjective

What It Is

Magna cum laude is Latin for with great honor.

How It Works

Let's say John Doe is about to graduate college. He has a very high grade point average and has earned several awards from the finance department in which he is studying. Because he is graduating in the top 5% of his class, John Doe's university bestows the magna cum laude honor on him at graduation.

It is important to note that every college sets its own standards regarding who receives the designation.

Why It Matters

Graduating magna cum laude is often a prestigious reward for hard work in undergraduate or graduate work. The designation is less prestigious than summa cum laude (with highest honor), but is more prestigious than cum laude (with honor).

Source: Investing Answers