Emeritus

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɪˈmɛɹɪtəs/

Definitions

1. Describing a retired person who retains their title as an honor for past service
2. Referring to an individual who has retired from professional duties yet is still honored with a formal title for their previous contributions to a field
3. Designating a retired professional who is honored with a title due to their distinguished service in a specific field

Etymology: Roman soldiers who had completed their term of service were said to be "emeriti," a sense that gave the English word its core idea. The Latin verb "emereo" meant to finish one's military obligation, to serve out one's time, and its perfect passive participle "emeritus" described a man who had earned his discharge. The verb itself is built from "ex-", meaning "out" or "away", and "mereo", meaning to earn or deserve, so the literal sense is something like "having earned one's way out." English borrowed the adjective directly from Latin, and it kept the military sense of a man honorably released from duty. Over time it moved from soldiers to professors and clergy, so that a retired scholar who keeps his title is still called emeritus. The plural "emeriti" was taken straight from Latin as well, and it is used for a group of such retired holders of a title.

Synonyms: retired, honorary, distinguished

Antonyms: active, current