emeritus adj : honorably retired from assigned duties and retaining your title along with the additional title `emeritus' as in `professor emeritus'; `retired from assigned duties' need not imply that one is inactive [syn: retired]

English

Etymology

From emeritus.

Adjective

emeritus

1. retired, but retaining an honorific version of previous title; especially used with professor

Related terms

• emerita

Translations

• French: émérite

Latin

Verb form

emeritus

Emeritus () is an adjective that is used in the title of a retired professor, bishop or other professional. Emerita (/ɨˈmɛrɨtə/) was used for women, but is rarely used today. The term is used when a person of importance in a given profession retires, so that his or her former rank can still be used in his or her title. This is particularly useful when establishing the authority a person might have to comment, lecture or write on a particular subject.

The word is typically used as a postpositional adjective but can also be used as a preposition adjective. It is frequently capitalized when it forms part of a title. The word originated in the mid-18th century from Latin as the past participle of emereri meaning to "earn one's discharge by service". Emereri itself is a compound of the prefix e- (a variant of ex-) meaning "out of or from" and merēre meaning "earn". The word is always associated with the title, not the name, of a person. For example, "Professor Emeritus of Mathematics Alex Robertson".

Emeritus does not imply that the person must be retired from all duties of his or her previous title. Nor does it imply that the person is engaged in the duties of his or her previous title.

See also

• Professor emeritus

References

• Emeritus, New Oxford American Dictionary (2nd edition), 2005.
• Emeritus, Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Online), 2006.

assistant, assistant professor, associate, associate professor, in retirement, instructor, lecturer, on pension, pensioned, pensioned off, professor, professor emeritus, reader, retired, retired professor, superannuated, tutor, visiting professor