Baccalaureate

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /bækəˈlɔːɹɪət/

Definitions

1. An academic degree conferred by a college or university upon completion of a four-year undergraduate course of study, or the ceremony at which this degree is awarded
2. A type of academic degree granted for completing a secondary or undergraduate program, often associated with a specific examination or ceremony
3. An educational qualification received after finishing high school or an undergraduate degree, commonly recognized in various countries

Etymology: The most striking part of this word's story is a deliberate misspelling of sorts: medieval Latin writers changed "baccalarius", a term for a young man apprenticing toward knighthood or a junior scholar, into "baccalaureus". The change made the word look like "bacca lauri", meaning "laurel berry", and the laurel was the ancient emblem of victory. The new spelling turned a humble rank into a crown of achievement. The older word is the one that became the English "bachelor", so this term and that one are close relations. "Baccalaureatus" then took on the "-atus" suffix, which marked a rank or office, and the French formed "baccalauréat" from it. English borrowed the French form in 1625, and the word has stayed attached to the completion of schooling ever since.