51Թ

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View synonyms for

emeritus

[ ih-mer-i-tuhs ]

adjective

  1. retired or honorably discharged from active professional duty, but retaining the title of one's office or position:

    dean emeritus of the graduate school;

    editor in chief emeritus.



noun

plural emeriti
  1. an emeritus professor, minister, etc.

emeritus

/ ɪˈɛɪə /

adjective

  1. usually postpositive retired or honourably discharged from full-time work, but retaining one's title on an honorary basis

    a professor emeritus

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of emeritus1

First recorded in 1785–95; from Latin ŧٳܲ “fully earned,” past participle of ŧŧ “to fully earn,” from ŧ- e- 1 + ŧ “to earn”; merit
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of emeritus1

C19: from Latin, from ŧ to deserve; see merit
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Compare Meanings

How does emeritus compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Kim Prisk, a professor emeritus at the University of California, San Diego, has been studying the effects of lunar dust on the human body for decades.

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Now 82, she is an emeritus professor of religion at Princeton, where she’s taught for more than four decades.

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“We have a continuum of activity, some of which we rightfully tolerate, such as boisterous and passionate protests,” said Brian Levin, a professor emeritus at Cal State San Bernardino and an expert on extremism.

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Dr Dorothy Bishop, emeritus professor of development neuropsychology at Oxford University and the first fellow to resign over the issue, told BBC News that she complained to the Royal Society twice last year.

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Currently a professor emeritus at Arizona State University and living outside of Phoenix, Pyne is the author of numerous books that explore the cultural role that fire has played shaping human history.

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More About Emeritus

What does𳾱ٳܲmean?

Emeritus describes someone who has retired or been honorably discharged from a specific position but allowed to retain their title because of their high achievements. For example, a distinguished professor at a university may be awarded with the title professor emeritus upon their retirement.

An emeritus is a person who has retired and has been awarded the title, as Today’s guest speaker is an emeritus from Harvard.

Emeritus comes from Latin, so the word has a feminine form—emerita. However, the feminine form is rarely used. Emeritus is commonly considered gender neutral.

The plural form of emeritus is emeriti, so a group of retired professors may be referred to as professors emeriti. You may also notice that when used as an adjective, the word is placed after the noun.

The title emeritus was first used in academia to describe professors who were retired from their position (professor emeritus). The word is now used for other positions, such as dean emeritus or president emeritus.

Emeritus is also used in other professions. For example, it can be used to describe retired religious leaders like rabbis (rabbi emeritus) or bishops (bishop emeritus), as well as certain government positions.

Example: Upon her retirement, Lucinda was awarded the title of professor emeritus for her outstanding work in the field.

Where does𳾱ٳܲcome from?

The first records of the term emeritus come from around the 1780s. It comes from the Latin ŧٳܲ, meaning “having fully earned.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of emeritus?

  • emeriti (plural noun)
  • emerita (adjective)

What are some synonyms for emeritus?

What are some words that share a root or word element with emeritus?

What are some words that often get used in discussing emeritus?

How is 𳾱ٳܲused in real life?

The word emeritus is most often used to describe retired professors, deans, or presidents of colleges and universities who have been honored for their work.

Try usingemeritus!

True or False?

A person awarded with the title emeritus is active in their professional community.

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