Phrase guide

summa cum laude

adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • rhymes with -aʊdi

1

adv

Meaning 1

With highest (of three degrees of) praise; as noted, as an honor, on diplomas and degrees for work that is considered to be of the highest quality.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Nancy graduated from the university summa cum laude.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

with highest honor; with the highest academic distinction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a summa cum laude graduate

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

with highest honor

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he graduated summa cum laude

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Latin summā cum laude (“with the greatest praise”).

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 以最高荣誉 (yǐ zuìgāo róngyù) — with highest praise
  • Chinese Mandarin: 以最高榮譽 /以最高荣誉 — with highest praise
  • Dutch: met de grootste onderscheiding — with highest praise
  • Finnish: laudatur — with highest praise
  • Finnish: summa cum laude — with highest praise
  • French: avec la plus grande distinction — with highest praise
  • German: summa cum laude — with highest praise
  • German: sehr gut mit Auszeichnung — with highest praise
  • Icelandic: með æðsta láði — with highest praise
  • Icelandic: með hæstu ágætiseinkunn — with highest praise
  • Polish: summa cum laude — with highest praise
  • Tagalog: may sukdulang papuri — with highest praise
  • Vietnamese: xuất sắc — with highest praise
  • Vietnamese: loại xuất sắc — with highest praise