EMERITUS

'Emeritus' (IPA pronunciation: or ) is an adjective that is used in the title of a retired professor, bishop or other professional. 'Emerita' (IPA pronunciation: ) was used for women, but is rarely used today. The term is used when a person of importance in a given profession retires, so that his or her former rank can still be used in his or her title. This is particularly useful when establishing the authority a person might have to comment, lecture or write on a particular subject.
The word is typically used as a postpositional adjective but can also be used as a preposition adjective. It is frequently capitalized when it forms part of a title. The word originated in the mid-18th century from Latin as the past participle of ''emereri'' meaning to "earn one's discharge by service". ''Emereri'' itself is a compound of the prefix ''e-'' (a variant of ''ex-'') meaning "out of or from" and ''merēre'' meaning "earn". The word is always associated with the title, not the name, of a person. For example, "Professor Emeritus of Mathematics Alex Robertson".
It is said that media baron Rupert Murdoch once told an editor exactly how he should understand his new ''emeritus'' status, in the wake of the Hitler diaries fiasco: "'E' '' means exit and '' 'meritus' '' means you deserve it!".^[1]

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★ ''Emeritus'', New Oxford American Dictionary (2nd edition), 2005.

★ ''Emeritus'', Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Online), 2006.
1. A Press Lord Without a Rosebud — ''New York Times'' newspaper article, 17 January 1993.