poet laureate

noun

plural poets laureate or poet laureates

1

: a poet honored for achievement

2

a

: a poet appointed for life by an English sovereign as a member of the royal household and formerly expected to compose poems for court and national occasions

b

: a poet appointed annually by the U.S. Library of Congress as a consultant and typically involved in the promotion of poetry

3

: one regarded by a country or region as its most eminent or representative poet

Examples of poet laureate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When Kwame Dawes, Jamaica’s poet laureate, began the Calabash International Literary Festival in 2001, his mission was to help propel Caribbean writers to a larger stage. —Anderson Tepper, Travel + Leisure, 13 Oct. 2025

One thing Howard did not plan for, however, was a poem written and edited in tandem by Michigan's poet laureate, Melba Joyce Boyd, and John Percy Boyd. —Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025

Arthur Sze will take over from Ada Limón and become the 25th U.S. poet laureate, the Library of Congress announced. —Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 16 Sep. 2025

Pulitzer Prize finalist and translator Arthur Sze, 74, is the nation’s newest poet laureate, the Library of Congress announced Monday. —Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 15 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for poet laureate

• baccalaureate

Video

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'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.

Kids Definition

poet laureate

noun

plural poets laureate or poet laureates

1

: a poet appointed by an English ruler as a member of the royal household and formerly expected to write poems for court and national occasions

2

: a poet regarded by a country or region as its most outstanding