PhD

Meanings

1. 1abbreviationcountable

   The highest degree a university awards, given after several years of original research and a long written thesis.

   Grammar: Often used with the verb do or have: do a PhD, have a PhD in physics.

   Patterns

   • a PhD in something
   • do a PhD
   • get a PhD

   She is doing a PhD in marine biology at Edinburgh.

   After his PhD, he took a job at a research lab.

   You usually need a PhD to teach at a university.

2. 2nouncountableinformal

   A person who has earned this degree.

   Grammar: Informal use; a person is more normally described as having a PhD.

   The team includes three PhDs and two engineers.

   Every PhD in the department attended the seminar.

   The company hired a PhD to lead the data project.

Word forms

Common combinations

do a PhD

He decided to do a PhD after his master's.

PhD thesis

Her PhD thesis is on climate and farming.

PhD student

A PhD student runs the weekly tutorial.

complete a PhD

It took her five years to complete a PhD.

PhD in something

He has a PhD in economics.

Synonyms and how they differ

doctorate

Doctorate is the general word for the level of degree, while PhD names the most common type.

doctoral degree

Doctoral degree is more formal and covers other doctorates, not only the PhD.

DPhil

DPhil is the same level of degree, used by a few universities such as Oxford.

Word family

doctor noun

a person with a doctorate, or a medical doctor

doctorate noun

the degree level

doctoral adjective

relating to a doctorate

postdoctoral adjective

relating to research after a PhD

Commonly confused: PhD or MD?

Practice

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