emeritus

[ ih-mer-i-tuhs ]

adjective

1. retired or honorably discharged from active professional duty, but retaining the title of one's office or position:

   dean emeritus of the graduate school;

   editor in chief emeritus.

noun

, plural e·mer·i·ti [ih-, mer, -i-tahy, -tee].

1. an emeritus professor, minister, etc.

emeritus

/ ɪˈmɛrɪtəs /

adjective

1. usually postpositive retired or honourably discharged from full-time work, but retaining one's title on an honorary basis

   a professor emeritus

Word History and Origins

Origin of emeritus¹

First recorded in 1785–95; from Latin ēmeritus “fully earned,” past participle of ēmerēre “to fully earn,” from ē- e- ¹ + merēre “to earn”; merit

Word History and Origins

Origin of emeritus¹

C19: from Latin, from merēre to deserve; see merit

Example Sentences

John Woolley, a professor emeritus of political science and co-director of the American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara, said people’s feelings about this race being particularly jarring are valid.

From Los Angeles Times

Part of Long Beach’s risk will come if the city and LA28 underestimate the cost of extra services, said Andrew Zimbalist, a professor emeritus of economics at Smith College.

From Los Angeles Times

Norm Ornstein is emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and co-author of the bestselling book "One Nation After Trump: A Guide for the Perplexed, the Disillusioned, the Desperate, and the Not-Yet Deported."

From Salon

In 2012, he retired as chairman of the group and was appointed chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, the group's holding company.

From BBC

But when it comes to capital gains tax “I don’t think immediately it will raise a vast amount of money”, says Judith Freedman, emeritus professor of tax law and policy at the University of Oxford.

From BBC

Related Words

• elderly
• resigned

More About Emeritus

What does emeritus mean?

Emeritus describes someone who has retired or been honorably discharged from a specific position but allowed to retain their title because of their high achievements. For example, a distinguished professor at a university may be awarded with the title professor emeritus upon their retirement. 

An emeritus is a person who has retired and has been awarded the title, as Today’s guest speaker is an emeritus from Harvard.

Emeritus comes from Latin, so the word has a feminine form—emerita. However, the feminine form is rarely used. Emeritus is commonly considered gender neutral. 

The plural form of emeritus is emeriti, so a group of retired professors may be referred to as professors emeriti. You may also notice that when used as an adjective, the word is placed after the noun.

The title emeritus was first used in academia to describe professors who were retired from their position (professor emeritus). The word is now used for other positions, such as dean emeritus or president emeritus. 

Emeritus is also used in other professions. For example, it can be used to describe retired religious leaders like rabbis (rabbi emeritus) or bishops (bishop emeritus), as well as certain government positions. 

Example: Upon her retirement, Lucinda was awarded the title of professor emeritus for her outstanding work in the field.

Where does emeritus come from?

The first records of the term emeritus come from around the 1780s. It comes from the Latin ēmeritus, meaning “having fully earned.” 

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of emeritus?

• emeriti (plural noun)
• emerita (adjective)

What are some synonyms for emeritus?

• retired
• discharged
• resigned

What are some words that share a root or word element with emeritus? 

• merit
• meritocracy
• meritorious
• emerita

What are some words that often get used in discussing emeritus?

• academics
• professor
• honorific
• designation

How is emeritus used in real life?

The word emeritus is most often used to describe retired professors, deans, or presidents of colleges and universities who have been honored for their work. 

As of today I am Professor Emeritus of Democracy & Justice Studies @UWGB = I may be getting old, but I remain cool ;)

— Harvey J Kaye (@harveyjkaye) December 21, 2020

Geog 248: Location and Spatial Economy with Geography Professor Emeritus Allen J. Scott, fall 1993

— Patrick Burns (@patrickeburns) March 9, 2023

I am pleased to announce at its November meeting the University of Canterbury Council awarded me the honorary title “Professor Emeritus". I feel very privileged and honoured to receive this award.

— ray kirk (@ray_c_kirk) December 16, 2020

 

Try using emeritus!

True or False? 

A person awarded with the title emeritus is active in their professional community.