Meanings
plural baccalaureates · alternative bacc · alternative bac
- A high school completion exam and qualification awarded in many countries (e.g. Finland, France, Moldova, Romania), designed to enable students to pursue higher education.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan academic degree conferred on someone who has successfully completed undergraduate studies
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Medieval Latinbaccalaureus
- Medieval Latinbaccalaureātus
- Frenchbaccalauréat
- Englishbaccalaureate
First attested in 1625; borrowed from French baccalauréat, from Medieval Latin baccalaureātus, from Medieval Latin baccalaureus, an alteration made to baccalārius (“young man aspiring to knighthood, apprentice, bachelor”) for it to resemble bacca lauri (“laurel berry”) (the ancient symbol of victory). See bachelor and -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office).
More words from French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 高中畢業會考 /高中毕业会考, 畢業典禮致辭 /毕业典礼致辞
- 高中畢業會考 /高中毕业会考 (gāozhōng bìyè huìkǎo)examination to enable higher education
- 畢業典禮致辭 /毕业典礼致辞 (bìyè diǎnlǐ zhìcí)farewell address
Finnish ylioppilaskoe, ylioppilaskirjoitukset
- ylioppilaskoeexamination to enable higher education
- ylioppilaskirjoituksetexamination to enable higher education
- valmistujaissaarnafarewell address
French baccalauréat, discours de fin d'études
- baccalauréatexamination to enable higher education
- discours de fin d'étudesfarewell address
German Bakkalaureat
- Bakkalaureatexamination to enable higher education
Polish licencjat, bakalaureat
- licencjatbachelor's degree
- bakalaureatexamination to enable higher education
- mowa pożegnalnafarewell address
- International BaccalaureateInternational Baccalaureate
Romanian bacalaureat
- bacalaureatexamination to enable higher education
Russian выпускно́й экза́мен
- выпускно́й экза́мен (vypusknój ekzámen)examination to enable higher education
Slovak bakalaureát
- bakalaureátexamination to enable higher education
Spanish bachillerato
- bachilleratoexamination to enable higher education
Welsh bagloriaeth
- bagloriaethexamination to enable higher education
Cite this entry
baccalaureate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/baccalaureate
“baccalaureate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/baccalaureate. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “baccalaureate,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/baccalaureate.
Source: baccalaureate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.