academicals
Definition
- Noun (plural only):
- Academic attire: "Academicals" refers to the distinctive clothing worn by members of a university, especially professors and students, during formal ceremonies. This typically includes a gown, hood, and cap (such as a mortarboard or tam).
Usage Examples
- (They were dressed in the formal gowns and hoods of their academic rank.)
- (They must put on the official university robes and caps.)
Advanced Usage
"in academicals": dressed in formal academic attire.
- The vice-chancellor appeared in his crimson academicals for the convocation. (He wore the highest-grade academic robe.)
"to don academicals": to put on academic robes.
- Before the ceremony, the graduates donned their academicals in the assembly hall. (They put on their gowns and caps.)
Variants and Related Words
Academic (adj): relating to education and scholarship.
- She has an academic background in history. (Her education is focused on scholarly study.)
Academy (n): a place of study or training; a society of learned people.
- He was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts. (He became a member of a respected scholarly institution.)
Synonyms
- Academic dress: the formal clothing worn by university members.
- University robes: the gowns and hoods associated with higher education institutions.
- Regalia: ceremonial attire, often used for academic or official occasions.
Related Idioms
- "to be in one's academicals": to be in formal academic clothing.
- The dean was in his academicals for the entire graduation ceremony. (He wore his official academic robes throughout.)
Notes on Usage
- "Academicals" is almost always used in the plural form. It is a formal term specific to academic contexts, particularly in British English. It is not commonly used in everyday conversation but appears in official university documents and descriptions of ceremonial events.