Diploma: A Certificate Named After a Folded Sheet
A diploma is a certificate awarded for completing a course. The Greek root means folded in two, because official documents were folded to protect the writing.
A diploma certifies that a course of study has been completed. Its name is purely physical: Greek *diploma* meant a paper folded double, which is how official documents travelled. Diplomacy comes from the same word, because diplomats carried such papers.
- A certificate of completed study. *A diploma in nursing.*
- A qualification below degree level (British). *A national diploma.*
- A degree certificate (American). *He framed his diploma.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | diploma | A postgraduate diploma. |
| Plural | diplomas | Diplomas were handed out. |
| Related | diplomat | A career diplomat. |
| Related | diplomacy | Quiet diplomacy. |
| Related | diplomatic | A diplomatic reply. |
How it is used in a sentence
- She holds a diploma in translation.A specific vocational qualification.
- High school diplomas are awarded at graduation.American usage — the equivalent of leaving certificates elsewhere.
- A diploma mill sells worthless certificates.An unaccredited institution charging for paper.
Diploma, degree and certificate
- Certificate — usually the shortest course of study
- Diploma — longer and more substantial than a certificate
- Degree — awarded by a university, at bachelor's level or above
- Postgraduate diploma — degree-level study without the dissertation
- The exact hierarchy varies by country, which is why comparing qualifications internationally is difficult
From Latin *diploma*, an official document, from Greek *diploun*, to fold double. Diplomats were originally those authorised by such folded documents, and diplomacy is what they did.
Diploma or degree?
A degree is awarded by a university. A diploma is usually a shorter or more vocational qualification, though usage varies by country.
Are diploma and diplomacy related?
Yes. Both come from the folded official document. A diplomat carried credentials of exactly this kind.