Aegrotat

/ɪˈɡroʊˌtæt/ noun

Definition

A degree or academic credit awarded to a university student who has been unable to complete examinations due to serious illness.

Etymology

From Latin aegrotat (he/she is sick), a verb form used in official Latin academic records. British universities adopted this Latin term to formalize the granting of degrees despite missed exams.

Kelly Says

Cambridge and Oxford are famous for awarding 'aegrots'—full degrees without exams—when students have been genuinely incapacitated by illness. It's a humane recognition that sometimes life's emergencies matter more than proving you studied.

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