laureate
lau·re·ate/ˈlɔ.ɹi.ət/adjective, noun, verb
laureate is spelled L-A-U-R-E-A-T-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables (lau·re·ate). It appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,798th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, laureate means “Crowned, or decked, with laurel” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in laureate?
| Letters | 8: L-A-U-R-E-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: lau·re·ate |
| In writing | 1.7 times per million words; the 21,798th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is laureate?
Laureate appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,798th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce laureate?
- UK /ˈlɒɹ.i.ət/
- UK /ˈlɔː.ɹi.ət/
- US /ˈlɔ.ɹi.ət/
As a verb (“To honor with a wreath of laurel, as formerly was done in…”): /ˈlɒɹ.i.eɪt/, /ˈlɔː.ɹi.eɪt/, /ˈlɔ.ɹi.eɪt/.
Laureate has 3 syllables, split lau·re·ate in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-laureate.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-laureate2.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of laureate
- laureates plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- laureating participle, present
- laureated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does laureate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Crowned, or decked, with laurel.
noun
- 1
datedOne crowned with laurel, such as a poet laureate or Nobel laureate.
- 2
A graduate of a university.
verb
- 1
To honor with a wreath of laurel, as formerly was done in bestowing a degree at English universities.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Laureate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | lauréat, lauréate |
| Portuguese | laureado , laurear |
| Spanish | laureado, galardonado, ganador , laurear, galardonar |
| German | Laureat, Laureatin |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does laureate come from?
First attested during the end of the 15th century, in Middle English; borrowed from Latin laureātus, from laurea (“laurel crown, wreath”, a high reward given to poets and later to the triumphant) + -ātus (forming adjectives indicating possession) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix)), from laureus (“of laurel”), from laurus (“laurel”). The verb was formed by metanalysis, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Cognate with French lauréat.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).