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

Question 2 — Eliminating the MCAS requirement: Students would no longer be required to pass MCAS exams to earn a high school diploma. —Jeff Weiner, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024

According to a recent report from Payscale, college graduates earn about 37% more than those who only have a high school diploma or GED. —Rachel Dalloo, Quartz, 30 Sep. 2024

That’s compared to only 40 percent of students with just a high school diploma, according to the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University. —Jamie Merisotis, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

Some for-profit schools illegally obtained federal funds in the name of students who had not received high school diplomas, and the students were then scammed out of money, according to the suit. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 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