diploma

noun

di·​plo·​ma də-ˈplō-mə 

plural diplomas

1

plural also diplomata də-ˈplō-mə-tə  : an official or state document : charter

2

: a writing usually under seal conferring some honor or privilege

3

: a document bearing record of graduation from or of a degree conferred by an educational institution

Examples of diploma in a Sentence

He earned his high school diploma by attending classes at night.

Recent Examples on the Web

For instance, 47% of White voters with a college degree describe the economy as good, compared with 29% of those without a diploma, an 18 percentage-point gap, CBS News polling found earlier this month. —Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 18 Oct. 2024

What do Nobel Prize winners get? Nobel Prize winners each receive a medal, diploma and monetary prize. —Melina Khan, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024

Those who share our national values should have a green card attached to each of their diplomas. —Gary Shapiro, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2024

The analysis found that the median pay for workers in the U.S. with a high school diploma is about $49,400, meanwhile, workers with a bachelor’s degree earn about $78,400 on average. —Rachel Dalloo, Quartz, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, passport, diploma, from Greek diplōma folded paper, passport, from diploun to double, from diploos

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing diploma

• diploma mill

Kids Definition

diploma

noun

di·​plo·​ma də-ˈplō-mə 

: a document granting a special right, honor, or power

especially : a document that shows a person has finished a course or graduated from a school