Meaning & use
honorary student
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person who is given the title of student as an honor, without taking the usual courses or exams.
Grammar: Countable: use 'an honorary student' or 'honorary students' with a plural verb.
Patterns
- be made an honorary student
- an honorary student of something
After her speech, the college made the visiting scientist an honorary student for life.
He never sat an exam there, but they named him an honorary student of the university.
The old coach was welcomed back as an honorary student at the graduation ceremony.
nouncountableinformal
A student who is allowed to attend classes and use facilities without earning credits or a degree.
Grammar: Countable; often used when the person is older or comes from another school.
Patterns
- attend as an honorary student
- enroll someone as an honorary student
My grandmother attends the history lectures as an honorary student.
The exchange program lets local residents join as honorary students.
Word forms
| plural | honorary students |
|---|
Common combinations
- be named an honorary student
- She was named an honorary student at the end of the term.
- an honorary student of the university
- He became an honorary student of the university after his donation.
- attend as an honorary student
- Visitors may attend as honorary students for one semester.
- honorary student status
- The board granted her honorary student status.
Synonyms and how they differ
- honorary member
- Used for clubs and organizations rather than schools; it stresses membership, not study.
- visiting student
- Suggests someone who studies temporarily at a school, often for credit, without the honor attached.
Word family
Commonly confused: honorary student or honorable student?
honorary student vs honorable student
'Honorable student' describes a student who behaves well or earns praise, not one given a title as an honor.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'honorary student' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Honorary student' means the title is given as an honor without the usual study or exams, so the retired teacher example fits. Studying hard or paying fees describes a regular student, not an honorary one.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “honorary student”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.