Definitions

summa cum laude

[soom-uh koom lou-dey, -duh, -dee, suhm-uh kuhm law-dee] / ˈsʊm ə kʊm ˈlaʊ deɪ, -də, -di, ˈsʌm ə kʌm ˈlɔ di /

ADJECTIVE

with the greatest honor

Synonyms

WEAK

highest honors with highest honor with highest praise

ADVERB

with the greatest honor

Synonyms

WEAK

highest honors with highest honor with highest praise

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Macdonald was a straight-A student in high school and graduated summa cum laude with a finance degree from the University of Georgia.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026

He received his BA summa cum laude from Indiana University in 1995 and his JD magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1998.

From Salon • Aug. 7, 2025

She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2021 with a triple major — political science, French and psychology — and a minor in history.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 21, 2024

In 1937, at age eighteen, I graduated from West Virginia State summa cum laude with degrees in mathematics and French.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson