summa cum laude
adverb or adjective
sum·ma cum lau·de
ˌsu̇-mə-(ˌ)ku̇m-ˈlau̇-də 
ˌsü-,
-ˈlau̇-dē;
ˌsə-mə-ˌkəm-ˈlȯ-dē
: with highest distinction
graduated summa cum laude
compare cum laude, magna cum laude
Examples of summa cum laude in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As a summa cum laude graduate of UCLA with a degree in mathematics, numbers fundamentally changed McKellar’s life.
—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 5 Nov. 2025
The cutoff for earning summa cum laude honors at Harvard is now 3.989, higher than previous years.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
Scott graduated summa cum laude from George Mason University with a B.A. in communication.
—Jesse Scott, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Fun Facts: Susie proudly graduated from college summa cum laude as a 30-year-old mom.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for summa cum laude
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 5 Nov. 2025
The cutoff for earning summa cum laude honors at Harvard is now 3.989, higher than previous years.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
Scott graduated summa cum laude from George Mason University with a B.A. in communication.
—Jesse Scott, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Fun Facts: Susie proudly graduated from college summa cum laude as a 30-year-old mom.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for summa cum laude
Cite this Entry
“Summa cum laude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/summa%20cum%20laude. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
summa cum laude
adverb or adjective
sum·ma cum lau·de
ˌsu̇m-ə-ˌku̇m-ˈlau̇d-ə
-ˈlau̇d-ē
-ˈlau̇d-ē
ˌsəm-ə-ˌkəm-ˈlȯd-ē
: with highest distinction
graduated summa cum laude
Etymology
Latin
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share