Definition

1. Adverb:

   • With high honor; with high academic distinction: Used to indicate that a student has graduated with a high level of academic achievement, typically the second-highest of three standard Latin honors.

2. Adjective:

   • Having graduated with high honor: Used to describe a person or their degree status.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:

  • She completed her bachelor's degree magna cum laude.
  • The university recognized his exceptional work, and he graduated magna cum laude.

• Adjective:

  • He is a magna cum laude graduate from a prestigious law school.
  • The magna cum laude distinction is noted on her diploma.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase "magna cum laude" is part of a traditional Latin honors system used primarily in the United States and some other countries. It is one rank below "summa cum laude" (with highest honor) and one rank above "cum laude" (with honor).
  • The college awards degrees summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude based on GPA.

Variants and Related Words

• Summa cum laude (adv/adj): With highest honor; the highest academic distinction.
  • She graduated summa cum laude with a perfect GPA.
• Cum laude (adv/adj): With honor; a standard academic distinction.
  • He was proud to graduate cum laude.

Synonyms

• With high honors
• With great distinction

Notes on Usage

• "Magna cum laude" is an unaltered Latin phrase adopted into English. It is typically written in italics in formal texts () but is commonly seen without italics in general usage.
• It is used almost exclusively in the context of academic graduation and honors.

Adjective

1. with high honor; with high academic distinction
   • a magna cum laude graduate

Adverb

1. with high honor
   • he graduated magna cum laude