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Glite Dictionary
honoris causa

honoris causa

9.9
A degree given as an honor without completing the usual study
  • noun
  • /ˌoʊnərɪs ˈkɔːzə/
  • Formal
translation icon : honoris causa
  • In 2020, she was honored with a degree honoris causa by the university for her contributions to science.

Examples

  • He was awarded the degree Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) honoris causa by Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh, in 1997.

    Academic text (2002)

  • The prestigious award of honoris causa was presented to him in recognition of his lifetime achievements in literature.

  • After her groundbreaking research, the academy bestowed upon her the degree honoris causa to acknowledge her significant impact.

Synonyms

honorary degree
vshonoris causa
  • Formal
9 4.6

A title a university gives to show respect for someone's work without study or exams

is the Latin form used for that degree in formal academic listings

Surface Forms

honoris causa singular
honoris causas plural

Morphology

honoris + causa

The phrase literally comes from Latin meaning 'for the sake of honor' (honoris = 'of honor', causa = 'for the sake of'), so the sense 'as an honor' or 'honorary' is derivable from the constituents if a learner recognises the Latin forms. However, because the words are Latin inflected forms and the construction is a fixed Latin formula used in academic contexts, a typical B1 learner who only knows the corresponding English words would likely not map the forms or genitive construction, making the transparency partial.

Etymology

Honoris causa comes from two Latin words, honoris meaning 'of honour' and causa meaning 'for the sake of'. So universities award a degree honoris causa 'as an honour' to someone without the usual study or exams.