noun
diploma
dih-PLOH-muh
noun
1
An official document awarded for completing a course of study or earning a qualification.
"She framed her nursing diploma and hung it in her office."
How to Use Diploma
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA certificate proving you completed a course or program.
Common mistake
A diploma is usually awarded for a shorter or more specific course, while a "degree" typically refers to a full university qualification.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
earn a diploma
diploma in nursing
high school diploma
Word Forms
diplomas plural, diplomata plural
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She framed her nursing _____ and hung it in her office.
Etymology
From Latin diplōma, from Greek díplōma meaning "folded paper" or "official document," itself from a word meaning "to fold."