matriculate
verb
Did you know?
Anybody who has had basic Latin knows that alma mater, a fancy term for the school you attended, comes from a phrase that means "fostering mother." If mater is mother, then matriculate probably has something to do with a school nurturing you just like good old mom, right? Not exactly. If you go back far enough, matriculate is distantly related to the Latin mater, but its maternal associations were lost long ago—even in terms of Latin history. It is more closely related to Late Latin matricula, which means "public roll or register." Matricula has more to do with being enrolled than being mothered, but it is the diminutive form of the Latin matrix, which in Late Latin was used in the sense of "list" or "register" and earlier referred to female animals kept for the purposes of breeding.
Examples of matriculate in a Sentence
James Unnever, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2025
For example, on April 9, China’s Education Ministry advised students to thoroughly assess risks when considering studying in the U.S.
May 1 was college decision day, so the data on how many international students decide to matriculate at U.S. institutions of higher education is still unknown.
—Paul Weinstein Jr, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
On the other hand, Brown University's Program in Liberal Medical Education requires students to remain in good academic standing, with no requirement to take the MCAT before matriculating into The Warren Alpert Medical School.
—Kristen Moon, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Just 44 new Black medical students matriculated last year, 6% of the state's new cohort of medical students.
—Steph Solis, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for matriculate
Cite this Entry
“Matriculate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matriculate. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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matriculate
verb
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