honours degree
- noun
- /ˈɒnəz dɪˈɡriː/
- UK
:
título con honores
- The result was a career shift from architecture to teaching, and he graduated with a first-class honours degree in technology education in 1998.
So you had a first class honors degree in physics and astrophysics.
- So you had a first class honors degree in physics and astrophysics.
Examples
-
She graduated with a first-class honours degree in biomedical sciences from her university.
-
Katy, you're a valet driver with an honours degree from Berkeley, and Shaun can speak, like, four languages.
-
Oh, and just accidentally has an honours degree in philosophy.
Blog text (17) -
So you had a first class honors degree in physics and astrophysics.
-
She gets her first class honours degree in law then, and she wants to become a barrister like her father.
-
Mendes attended Cambridge University and graduated in 1987 with a first-class honours degree in English.
Blog text (29) -
After years of hard work, he proudly received his honours degree in mathematics.
-
Obtaining an honours degree typically requires a higher academic achievement than a regular degree.
Synonyms
1
7.7
A top university degree given in Britain
1
4.5
An extra university award for a degree that shows very good grades
1
6.3
A university undergraduate degree given to students with the highest grades
How Prestigious
- UK
1
6.3
- UK
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'honours' (an award for exceptional performance) modifies 'degree' (a university qualification) to indicate a degree awarded with distinction. This construction is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The noun honours degree may come from old universities giving special honours to students who did extra work or earned top marks, so the degree was marked as higher than the usual one. That's why honours degree means 'a degree showing higher achievement'.