diploma

[ dih-ploh-muh ]
/ dɪˈploʊ mə /

noun, plural di·plo·mas, Latin di·plo·ma·ta [dih-ploh-muh-tuh] /dɪˈploʊ mə tə/.

a document given by an educational institution conferring a degree on a person or certifying that the person has satisfactorily completed a course of study.
a document conferring some honor, privilege, or power.
a public or official document, especially one of historical interest: a diploma from Carolingian times.

verb (used with object), di·plo·maed, di·plo·ma·ing.

to grant or award a diploma to.

Origin of diploma

1635–45; < Latin diplōma a letter of recommendation, an official document < Greek díplōma a letter folded double, equivalent to diplō-, variant stem of diploûn to double (derivative of diplóos; see diplo-) + -ma suffix of result

OTHER WORDS FROM diploma

pre·di·plo·ma, noun un·di·plo·maed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH diploma

certificate degree diploma license

Example sentences from the Web for diploma

British Dictionary definitions for diploma

diploma
/ (dɪˈpləʊmə) /

noun

a document conferring a qualification, recording success in examinations or successful completion of a course of study
an official document that confers an honour or privilege

Word Origin for diploma

C17: from Latin: official letter or document, literally: letter folded double, from Greek; see diplo-