1. any of several academic degrees of the highest rank, as the Ph.D. or Ed.D., awarded by universities and some colleges for completing advanced work in graduate school or a professional school.
2. an honorary degree conferring the title of doctor upon the recipient, as with the LL.D. degree.
3. a degree awarded to a graduate of a school of medicine, dentistry, or veterinary science. Also called doctorate (for defs. 1, 2).