matriculate

verb

Save Word

ma·tric·u·late | \ mə-ˈtri-kyə-ˌlāt

matriculated; matriculating

Definition of matriculate

transitive verb

: to enroll as a member of a body and especially of a college or university

intransitive verb

: to be enrolled at a college or university She matriculated at the state university.

Other Words from matriculate Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about matriculate

Keep scrolling for more

Did You Know?

Anybody who has had basic Latin knows that alma mater, a fancy term for the school you attended, comes from a phrase that means "fostering mother." If mater is "mother," then matriculate probably has something to do with a school nurturing you just like good old mom, right? Not exactly. If you go back far enough, matriculate is distantly related to the Latin mater, but its maternal associations were lost long ago. It is more closely related to Late Latin matricula, which means "public roll or register," and it has more to do with being enrolled than being mothered.

Examples of matriculate in a Sentence

the college matriculated 1000 students for the fall semester

Recent Examples on the Web Medical students matriculate early and health-care workers come out of retirement to fill staffing gaps. — Washington Post, "2020: The year of the virus," 31 Dec. 2020 The unspoken assumption that, of course, families would step up and pay — parents, really, in the case of most students hoping to matriculate straight from high school. — Ron Lieber, New York Times, "FAFSA’s Expected Family Contribution Is Going Away. Good Riddance.," 30 Dec. 2020 All students in every school had to take and pass a music class in order to matriculate. — Rashad Shabazz, Smithsonian Magazine, "Why Prince Would Not Sound Like Prince Without Minneapolis," 28 Jan. 2020 All students in every school had to take and pass a music class in order to matriculate. — Rashad Shabazz, Smithsonian Magazine, "Why Prince Would Not Sound Like Prince Without Minneapolis," 28 Jan. 2020 All students in every school had to take and pass a music class in order to matriculate. — Rashad Shabazz, Smithsonian Magazine, "Why Prince Would Not Sound Like Prince Without Minneapolis," 28 Jan. 2020 For Chan, success on the court can hopefully bring increased to exposure to a school that matriculated students to 160 colleges in 2019. — Nate Weitzer, BostonGlobe.com, "Saint Joseph Prep boys’ basketball experiencing a growth spurt," 24 Feb. 2020 Lee’s bill has seen dramatic revisions while matriculating through Senate committees. — John Haughey, Washington Examiner, "Florida E-Verify eject-and-replace bill sets stage for late-session standoff," 11 Mar. 2020 Eden David, who's studying neuroscience at Columbia University and matriculating to medical school later this year, is a contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit. — Eden David, ABC News, "How to deal with fear of novel coronavirus in the face of the unknown," 5 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'matriculate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.