PhD

abbreviation or noun

variants or Ph.D.
plural PhDs or Ph.D.s
: the academic degree, title, or rank of doctor of philosophy
He was awarded a PhD in economics.
Jane Smith, Ph.D.
also : a person who has earned the academic degree of doctor of philosophy
The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Watson School of Biological Sciences graduated its first PhDs (14 of them) in June 2004 … Horace Freeland Judson

Examples of PhD in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Ziemer, a PhD student and teacher at the university, was already holed up in a conference room on the third floor of an academic building with her coworkers and faculty from another program who let them in for shelter. Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025 Korok Ray is a PhD economist/professor who researches/teaches Bitcoin. Korok Ray, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025 The PhD student has not been charged with any crime. Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025 Emily Hotez, PhD and Alice Kuo, MD, PhD are autism researchers at UCLA. Alice Kuo and Emily Hotez, Boston Herald, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for PhD

Word History

Etymology

New Latin philosophiae doctor

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of PhD was in 1839

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“PhD.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/PhD. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!