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.
Melinda Burrell, PhD, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is a former humanitarian aid worker and now trains on the neuroscience of communication and conflict. Melinda Burrell, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 The goal is to help people use more information than just lumping everything into an ultra-processed category, study co-author Michael Sebek, PhD, an associate research scientist at Northeastern University, told Health. Korin Miller, Health, 7 Feb. 2025 Since the 1960s, plastic production has increased by approximately 8.7% annually, according to Andrew Ortiz, a PhD student in the department of food science and technology at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Erica Lamberg, Fox News, 6 Feb. 2025 But in recent years, researchers have coalesced around a food classification system called Nova, created by a team of experts led by epidemiologist Carlos Monteiro, MD, PhD, at the University of São Paulo. Erica Sloan, SELF, 6 Feb. 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

Dictionary Entries Near PhD

Cite this Entry

“PhD.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/PhD. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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