phd meaning dirty

What Does Phd Mean In Slang & How To Use It

What does phd mean in text, tiktok and social platforms, pretty huge d*ck.

PHD is an abbreviation that stands for “Doctor of Philosophy” and is a postgraduate academic degree. It is not commonly used in text, chat, TikTok, or Snapchat, and it is not appropriate to use it to mean “Pretty Huge D*ck”. If someone uses the abbreviation in this way, it is best to ignore it or respond with something like, “I’m not sure what you’re trying to say, but PHD stands for Doctor of Philosophy, not that other thing.”

Here is an example conversation between two friends

Friend 1: Hey, did you see the new TikTok that Jake made? Friend 2: Yeah, it was pretty funny. He’s such a PHD. Friend 1: What do you mean by that? Friend 2: Oh, sorry. I meant he’s a Doctor of Philosophy. I must have been thinking about something else.

In this conversation, Friend 2 made a mistake by using the abbreviation PHD to mean something vulgar, but quickly corrected themselves.

What does Phd mean from a guy

PhD is a degree that is awarded to individuals who have completed advanced studies and research in a specific field. It stands for “Doctor of Philosophy” and is typically considered a high level of academic achievement. It is not appropriate to use the term “Pretty Huge Dick” in reference to a person’s PhD.

It is impossible for me to determine whether the person in question likes or hates you based on their use of the term PhD. Additionally, I cannot determine whether they are trying to make a move or not without further information. It is always best to communicate openly and directly with someone in order to understand their intentions and to avoid misunderstandings.

Girl: Hey, I noticed you have a PhD in physics. That’s really impressive! Guy: Thanks! I’ve been working on my research for a long time.

In this example, the girl is complimenting the guy on his academic achievement and the guy is responding modestly.

Girl: I’m thinking about applying to graduate school. What’s your advice for someone who wants to get a PhD? Guy: It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s also very rewarding. Just make sure you’re passionate about your research and you’ll be fine.

In this example, the girl is asking the guy for advice on pursuing a PhD and the guy is giving her some general advice.

What does Phd mean from a girl

PhD stands for “Doctor of Philosophy.” It is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities to students who have completed a course of study that typically lasts three to five years. This degree is typically earned in a specific field of study, such as physics, chemistry, or psychology. It is not a term that is used to refer to anything else.

In terms of responding to someone who uses “PhD” in a different context, such as in the phrase “Pretty Huge Dick,” it would be best to ignore the comment and not engage with it. It is not appropriate to use derogatory or offensive language, and doing so can make the person who used the term look foolish.

As for the examples of a conversation between a girl and a guy using “PhD” in different meanings, here are two possibilities

Girl: Hey, I just got accepted into a PhD program in biology! Guy: That’s awesome! Congratulations on your acceptance.

In this example, the girl is using “PhD” to refer to the postgraduate academic degree, while the guy is responding in a supportive and congratulatory manner.

Girl: I heard you have a PhD in physics. Guy: Yeah, that’s right. I just finished my dissertation last year.

In this example, the girl is using “PhD” to refer to the postgraduate academic degree, and the guy is confirming that he has earned this degree in the field of physics. He also mentions his dissertation, which is a long research paper that is required for the completion of a PhD program.

In both examples, “PhD” is being used in its correct and intended meaning, as a postgraduate academic degree. It is not being used in any derogatory or offensive way.

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17 Sex Terms You Were Too Embarrassed to Ask About, Defined

Especially with the rise of social media, new terms are coined all the time, including in the arena of sexuality. For instance, while the word "cuck" has become an insult hurled by the right-wing trolls, it's related to cuckolding, which can (and should) be a hot and consensual sexual activity that all involved parties enjoy. If you weren't quite sure of what that particular word's definition is — or you're unclear on terms like felching, docking, or queening, for that matter — I've written a near-comprehensive guide.

Additionally, if you're wondering if any given sex act is really a thing, keep in mind the wise words of sex educator Jimanekia Eborn : " Everything is a thing, is basically what I have learned working in sex education." In other words, if you can dream it, you can do it — or at least rest assured that someone else has probably tried to. With that being said, here are 17 sex terms you probably didn't learn in sex ed, explained.

1. Pearl Necklace

As Samantha explained to Charlotte on a memorable episode of Sex and the City , a pearl necklace is what results when someone ejaculates on or around their partner's neck or chest (yes, so that the semen is roughly where a pearl necklace is when worn). If you're not someone who enjoys wearing this kind of pearl necklace, feel free to stick to Charlotte's preferred version, which you can find at Bloomingdale's.

2. Impact Play

Impact play refers to any impact on the body done for sexual gratification, from spanking to whips and crops . When engaging in impact play, remember to pick a safe word and continually check in with one another to ensure the level of pain is desirable. It's also important to stick to areas on the body which are safe to spank or tap on with a crop, which means fleshy, meaty areas away from the organs, such as the butt and thighs. If this sounds appealing to you, be sure to check out my guide to first-timer BDSM tips .

Dungeon Dwellers And Domination Enthusiasts Descend On DomconLA

3. squirting.

Squirting is when a person with a vagina ejaculates fluid during sex. Eborn says she is frequently asked if squirting is a myth, and she's only too happy to share that it is not, nor is it "just peeing." Research suggests that the fluid involved comes partly from Skene's glands, also known as the "female prostate" — but as with many subjects that don't focus on a penis, more research is required. Not everyone squirts, and among those who do, some squirt from clitoral stimulation and some squirt from G-spot stimulation (that is, stimulation of the sensitive front wall of the vagina).

You may be familiar with cognitive behavioral therapy , a helpful form of talk therapy. However, within the world of kink, CBT refers to "cock and ball torture." This form of CBT can be therapeutic for people with penises interested in having a dominatrix inflict pain on their genitals, through the use of ropes, whips, or even chastity devices.

Pegging refers to when a woman penetrates a man anally with a strap-on dildo . There's a now-infamous pegging scene in a Broad City episode that recently repopularized the term.

6. Queening

Queening is just a glamorous name for sitting on someone's face. There's nothing more to it than that.

7. Scissoring

Scissoring, also called tribadism or tribbing, is most often thought of as the territory of same-sex, female-identified couples. It's usually considered to be two partners rubbing their vulvas against each other's, but can also be defined as one partner rubbing their vulva against other body parts of their partner's (including the thighs and butt), as Autostraddle pointed out . In so-called "classic" scissor position, partners' legs intersect so that they look like — you guessed it — scissors. Porn (especially porn made for the male gaze) has probably hyped up scissoring as a more popular act among women who have sex with women than it actually is in real life, but plenty of people love it.

Women in lingerie touching each other

8. edge play.

When you first hear the term "edge play," it's easy to assume it refers to extreme sex acts that literally involve an edge of some sort, such as knives or needles (and yes, some people consensually incorporate those things into sex). But no sharp objects need to be involved in this type of edge play. The term means kinky sexual acts that push your boundaries (consensually) to the edge, which can be exhilarating for some. What is considered edge play differs from person to person, as we all have our own boundaries and limits. For some, psychological play such as name-calling may be edge play. If you are going to try pushing your boundaries , please do so with a partner you trust and use a safe word.

Figging is one of those sexual acts that are so interesting it's fun to know what it means, but you have to wonder if anyone actually does it. Figging is the act of inserting a piece of peeled ginger into someone's butthole, which would burn, sting, and be quite painful. Figging allegedly originated as a (non-sexual) form of corporal punishment on female prisoners by the Greek and the Roman empires. These days, the term also can refer to the general infliction of consensual pain on the anus.

10. Aftercare

Aftercare is a sexual practice that everyone should be doing, whether you're having kinky sex or vanilla sex. It's a term created by the kink community and simply means checking in with your partner(s) after sex to make sure all parties felt good and safe about what just went down and taking care of one another emotionally and physically. This can mean cuddling, bringing ice to the submissive partners if there are any spanking bruises, and talking about what you liked or what you didn't like. It really just means checking in post-sex, and if anything did happen that one or all parties felt weird about, making sure it doesn't happen the next time.

11. Felching

To felch is to suck up semen out of an orifice (using a straw is optional). For instance, someone may ejaculate inside their partner's anus and then suck their own semen out of the anus with their mouth; they then may or may not swallow. (Keep in mind that exchanging fluids in this way is associated with the risk of STIs , including HIV.)

12. Bukkake

Bukkake is both a sex act and popular genre of porn in which multiple men, typically three or more, ejaculate all over a woman.

13. Docking

"Docking is when two uncircumcised [people with penises] get together," Eborn explains. "[The first] pulls his foreskin back and holds it while [the second] stretches [theirs] open and outward as far as possible over the head and shaft of [the first partner's] penis." She says she is frequently asked if this act is real and possible, and her response is that with enough imagination and determination, most things are. (That said, remember that comfort and safety should take priority in all sexual encounters, no matter how creative.)

14. Cuckolding

Cuckolding is when a person in a relationship stands by as their partner has sex with someone else. There are many ways to cuck: The "cuckold" may look on while tied up in a corner, or the cuckold's partner may go out on their own, have sex, and report back. There is usually an element of humiliation involved: For instance, a wife may tell her husband all about how her other partner has a massive penis and can satisfy her in ways her husband cannot. Yes, some men are turned on by being told they suck in bed. (Important note: It's totally possible to share sexy fantasies about cuckolding with your partner without actually doing it.)

Professional dominatrixes often get requests to do cuckolding sessions in which they may have their submissive watch as they have sex with a different partner or tell the submissive to buy them lingerie for them to wear on a date with someone else. While cuckolding is primarily associated with married, opposite-sex couples, people can enjoy cuckolding play regardless of gender, orientation, or relationship status.

Me, My Boyfriend And My Slave

15. water sports.

According to safe-for-work Google searches, water sports are aquatic activities such as jet-skiing. In the bedroom, however, the term refers to the incorporation of urine in erotic play. A golden shower, for example, is when one partner pees on the other. If you want to try this kind of play for the first time but are a little nervous, peeing on your partner (or being peed on) in the shower is a good way to dip your toe in the water, metaphorically speaking.

16. Fisting

Fisting is when one partner inserts their entire hand or fist into the other partner's vagina (or anus, for the highly talented). If you enjoy intense penetration but are dating someone with a small penis, remember that they have an entire fist to use on you. (And no, a penchant for fisting won't make your vagina loose ( nor will sex in general , so put that myth out of your head).

If you'd like to try it, go slow and use plenty of lube ; the fister can also wear a latex glove to keep things extra sanitary and help the hand slide into the orifice. And as with any sex act, enthusiastic consent and in-the-moment communication are key to enjoyment by all parties.

Medicine. Medical staff putting on latex gloves. Germany, Europe

17. queefing.

OK, so this one may not be a sex act, exactly, but it frequently happens during sex. Queefing is when air escapes from the vagina, often during or after penetration, and makes a farting sound. It's a form of flatulence, and it's totally normal. "At one point in time, it happens to all of us. We laugh [about it] to keep from being embarrassed," Eborn says.

Read more stories about sexuality and exploration:

11 of the Most Common Sexual Fetishes

What You Need to Know Before Having a Threesome

BDSM Sex Tips to Try If You're a Total Beginner

Now, watch our wellness editor try out flavored lube:

Don't forget to follow Allure on Instagram and Twitter .

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What does PH.D stand for?

Your abbreviation search returned 58 meanings

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Is the title Ph.D. or Dr. meaningless in the sense that anyone can use it?

I know a businessman who has received a LOT of mileage off of using "Dr." and "Ph.D." with his name - in fact he puts it front and center. However, it turns out that he never had more than two years of undergraduate work. Is there any teeth behind either of these titles, or is it just a matter of how many you can deceive for how long?

• 15 Could you specify which countries you are interested in? In some countries, using a doctoral title without actually having it is a severe offense, while in others, that may be handled differently. –  O. R. Mapper Commented Jun 2, 2015 at 19:54
• In his case, there were obviously "no teeth" behind the titles, and it was just a matter of deception. But this is not the case for most people with the title of Dr. So-and-so. –  pjs36 Commented Jun 2, 2015 at 20:17
• Please provide more context to narrow down the question a bit and enable a single, objectively evaluable answer. What country? What field/discipline? Are you asking about legal aspects, social aspects, or something else? What research have you done? –  D.W. Commented Jun 2, 2015 at 22:53
• 1 I am somewhat confused why this question has been closed. Is this really broader than many other questions we have here? –  xLeitix Commented Jun 3, 2015 at 13:40
• 2 On SE law: Is my title part of my legal name or does it hold any legal meaning? –  Franck Dernoncourt Commented Jun 3, 2015 at 22:26

5 Answers 5

I know a businessman who has received a LOT of mileage off of using "Dr" and "PhD" with his name

I don't know which country we are talking about, but at least in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland "Dr." is a protected title, and pretending you have one when you don't is a criminal offence. In Austria, for instance, this is part of federal law (see also the Bundesgesetzbuch ). I would assume that PhD is also a protected title in the US and Great Britain.

However, note that this law explicitly only covers "pretending to have a doctoral degree", which leaves some wiggle room. For instance, there is an notorious Austrian bus company called "Dr. Richard", where the "Dr." are officially just the initials of the name of the owner (Dragan Richard).

• 14 It's not protected at all in the US to use Dr. or PhD. It would be a crime to practice medicine w/o a license which requires an MD, DO, DC, DDS, etc., and it would probably be fraud to represent yourself has having a PhD for a position that required it. But just going around calling yourself Dr. Big Shot is not a crime here as far as I know. –  Bill Barth Commented Jun 2, 2015 at 20:50
• 3 @BillBarth If he's using it to further his business, it might fall under false advertising . Though I have no idea what kind of enforcement or penalties there are or what it would take to fall under that. –  Roger Fan Commented Jun 2, 2015 at 21:08
• 3 @RogerFan So far Dr Pepper hasn't been sued do to "false advertising", nor has Dr Seuss so I think you might be stretching it a bit. –  Steve Sether Commented Jun 3, 2015 at 5:04
• 2 @motiur Professor yes, postdoc no. "Professor" is a formal title, postdoc is just a job label. –  xLeitix Commented Jun 3, 2015 at 6:00
• 5 As an American, I don't even think the idea of a "protected title" exists in the US, at least not like it does in Germany. (Or if so, PhD is not protected.) Like Bill said, you can get in trouble for practicing medicine (or law) without proper qualifications, but it's the practice, not use of the title, that causes the problem. It's also illegal to impersonate a law enforcement officer, but there's nothing wrong with calling yourself "Officer X" or "Agent X" as long as you're clearly not passing yourself off as a representative of the FBI or local police or such. (disclaimer: IANAL) –  David Z Commented Jun 3, 2015 at 6:23

In the United States, the appropriate response to such a fabrication is to call the person out and shame them publicly. Once this happens, it is often quite effective, as attested to by infamous cases such as Marilee Jones being forced out of MIT . The same goes for people claiming to have proper credentials based on a "diploma mill" degree.

This will not, of course, stop a person who has no shame , but it will at least make their life harder and make it difficult for them to maintain their lies with people who actually care about qualifications.

• 15 I've tried in vain to shame Doctor Feelgood, Doctor Love, Doctor Who, Doctor Detroit, Doctor J, Doc Severinsen, and Doctor Dre, but it didn't really work out very well. Doctor Science at least admits he's "not a real doctor", but I don't think the others have taken a real position here. –  Steve Sether Commented Jun 2, 2015 at 21:53
• 1 From reading that wiki link, it's not clear that that person has no shame. It very well could be that she just has a different grasp on reality than other people. –  Kimball Commented Jun 3, 2015 at 0:14
• @SteveSether How do you know the Doctor did not receive a doctorate on Gallifrey? –  JAB Commented Jul 20, 2017 at 20:26

In Portugal, due to historical reasons, almost anyone that has some education can (high school degree suffices), and sometimes demands, be referred to as 'Doctor' (Dr.), although in Portugal as well, the title is legally protected today. So ultimately it depends on the cultural context and whether the person you refer to goes beyond putting the letters 'Dr.' in business cards, or actively lying about his/her qualifications.

In Portugal, up to recent times after the completion of an undergraduate degree – except in architecture and engineering – a person was referred to as doutor (Dr.) – male or doutora (Dra.) – female. […] Nowadays Portugal is a signatory to the Bologna process and according to the current legislation the title of Doctor (doutor, doutora) is reserved for graduate holders of an academic doctorate.

Source: Wikipedia

• 2 @jakebeal, Henning provided a reference. It turns out that my comment is a bit outdated as I was not aware of the new legislation. Sadly I could not find a better reference than this or this one (in Portuguese) to support the common (ab)use of the title in Portugal. It is a cultural thing and that was the main point I was trying to make in my answer. –  fridaymeetssunday Commented Jun 8, 2015 at 15:00
• @fridaymeetssunday Actually, it is in fact common in some places to use "Prof. Dr." instead of "Prof." Notably in Oporto, much less in Lisbon. –  John B Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 17:28

In the US, I know that when you apply for a job and post your credentials, most basic background checks will at least ensure you graduated from said school with what degree you put on it. Lying about it, depending on what job, will probably result in you getting fired or potentially arrested depending on who you lied to.

It is also not uncommon to find mistranslations from spanish regarding the term 'Professor' (usually holding a PhD title), since the word for 'teacher' is the same in Spanish for both, altought the second does not generally require to be a doctor. The same happens with "Associate Professor" and "Full (time) Professor". Further, some medical practicioners are always regarded as doctor whether or not they have a Phd or even some sort of postgraduate or advanced studies. As long as the misinterpretations are not due to malign intentions, this does not suppose a matter to worry much about, but it is always a good idea to find out more about the context where the term is forged. Also be on the look for slight transliterations such as 'Doctorand' or 'PhDc' (PhD candidate) that people generally use when they are in the final stages of attaining the title, but not officially there yet, such as when right before submitting the dissertation or after doing so, while the academic authorities issue the title with the seals and all. But no, the title Ph.D. is not meaningless at all (neither all of the others) and it is generally respected worldwide. There is always of course some trouble with homologation across regions, universities, countries or supranational areas, which is one the the issues that the Bologna process is struggling to deal with across European member states. Some other treaties to be on the look for is the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, a.k.a. "the Apostille Convention", or the "Apostille Treaty".

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Definition of Ph.D

Ph.d     .

I hear he's got a Ph.D .

Rumor has it that Eddy has a Ph.D .

• See more words with the same meaning: acronyms (list of) .
• See more words with the same meaning: penis .

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Average of 16 votes : 63%  ( See the most vulgar words .)

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Sex slang glossary: 20 naughty terms from rail to Netflix and Chill

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To quote Salt-N-Pepa, let’s talk about sex , baby. Or, rather, let’s talk about how we talk about sex.

Whether it’s a euphemism used to shy away from talking about a topic that’s too taboo from some, or the complete opposite and a visceral, visual slang term that penetrates the mind, we’ve invented a lot of ways to start discourse around intercourse.   

There’s a popular tidbit about the Inuit people having over 50 words for snow, but we might have them beat for the different terms for sex.

Here, we take a look at some of the favourite phrases used to discuss doing the deed…

What does getting railed mean?

Let’s start off with one of the more uncouth phrases – since Google search results indicate a lot of people are curious as to what this particular saying means.

Getting railed, quite literally, means having sex – or, if you prefer to take the cue from Urban Dictionary, it means the act of having wild, wild sex.

So, making romantic, meaningful love, this is not.

Netflix and Chill

Netflix and chill has become the most common mating call for a modern day audience.

To Netflix and Chill implies putting on Netflix as background noise – or a convincing alibi – as you and your partner(s) engage in a bit of consensual fun.

Some of these terms get their names from the implication that a penis is involved in the act.

Boning is such a term – entering the lexicon most likely as an after-effect to boner becoming a popular term for an erect penis.

D***ing down

If you have been d***ed down, you have had vigorous sex – this one is fairly self-explanatory.

Clapping cheeks

Getting one’s cheeks clapped is a newer term which is rising in popularity.

The name comes from the idea that, when you are in the throes of very intense sex, bum cheeks could make a clapping sound.

Porking is another term people use forhaving sex.

We wouldn’t suggest Googling the term, but there are some who think the term came about because squealing, the sound associated with pigs, is sometimes the sign that sexual partners are having a good time.

The origins of this term should be fairly obvious for anyone with, or who has sex with people with, a penis, sometimes colloquially called a shaft.

Nothing to do with the crime fighting cop.

This is a term most often associated with sexual acts between people who identify as men.

Breeding, or to be bred, generally means having unprotected anal sex.

There are too many to name, but other phrases for having sex that deserve a shoutout include:

• Laying pipe
• Taking the skin boat to tuna town
• Getting drilled
• Nutting/Busting a nut

Euphemisms for having sex   

In Human Nature, Queen of Pop and queen of never shying away from the subject, Madonna proclaimed ‘oops, I didn’t know I couldn’t talk about sex’ – and she was on to something.

Some people are more comfortable using gentler language to avoid any blushes.

Some euphemisms that actually mean having sex include:

• Making love
• Knocking boots
• Hitting the sheets
• Going all the way
• Getting lucky

MORE : Woman reveals how to have an orgasm by rubbing your lower back

MORE : Mindful sex could give your sex life the boost you’ve been looking for

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What does PHD Stand For in Internet Slang, Chat Texting & Subculture ?

For phd we have found 242 definitions., what does phd mean we know 242 definitions for phd abbreviation or acronym in 8 categories. possible phd meaning as an acronym, abbreviation, shorthand or slang term vary from category to category. please look for them carefully., phd stands for:.

220 Phd Puns: A Hilarious Break from Academic Stress

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of academia? Don’t worry, we have just what you need to tickle your funny bone and give your brain a much-needed break. Introducing our collection of over 200 PhD puns that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face and lighten the load of your academic stress. From hilarious wordplay to clever jokes, we’ve got it all. So sit back, relax, and prepare to have your intellect amused. Whether you’re a student, researcher, or professor, these puns are sure to resonate with your scholarly side and provide a much-needed dose of laughter. Let’s dive into the world of PhD humor and relieve some of that academic tension.

The Top PhD Puns That Will Make You “Doctor” With Laughter (Editors Pick)

1. Why did the PhD student bring a ladder to class? To reach new heights in their studies! 2. What did one PhD student say to the other? “Let’s make this research project a deep dive!” 3. Why did the PhD student become a meteorologist? They wanted to specialize in the study of high degrees. 4. Why did the PhD student become a chef? They wanted to earn a degree in culinary arts. 5. What do you call a PhD student wandering around aimlessly? A “dissertation on wheels.” 6. How did the PhD student feel after successfully defending their thesis? Re-“search”-ed! 7. Why did the PhD student bring a compass to the library? They were looking for a “dissertation-north.” 8. How did the PhD student make their research more visually appealing? They added “graphs-ics.” 9. Why did the PhD student become a gardener? They wanted to specialize in “growth and plant data analysis.” 10. Why did the PhD student always carry a calculator ? To “sum” up the data quickly. 11. What’s a PhD student’s favorite type of pet? A “lab”rador. 12. What’s a PhD student’s favorite type of music? “Bach”-ground music for concentration. 13. What did the PhD student do when they couldn’t find relevant research articles? They went to the “library-hay.” 14. Why did the PhD student go to the therapist? They had a case of “data-aggravation.” 15. What’s a PhD student’s favorite type of drink? A specialty “brew”-sing. 16. How does a PhD student like their pizza? “Well-documented” with extra toppings. 17. Why did the PhD student always carry a notebook? To take “note-verifiable” observations. 18. What did the PhD student say to their friend who started a Master’s program? “Welcome to the ‘research’-tangle!” 19. Where do PhD students go for inspiration? The “cite-seum” of knowledge. 20. Why did the PhD student become a detective? They had a knack for “uncovering” new discoveries.

Punnily Polished PhD Puns

1. My PhD research on the effects of caffeine just keeps percolating. 2. I’m getting a PhD in geography because I’m really good at finding my way around. 3. My thesis on the history of stairs is really taking me step by step. 4. Studying cognitive psychology for my PhD is really a no-brainer. 5. I’m writing my dissertation on puns because it’s a play on words. 6. My PhD in chemistry is really fusing all my passions together. 7. I’m getting a PhD in music theory so I can finally hit all the right notes. 8. Researching marine biology for my PhD is definitely making some waves. 9. I’m getting a PhD in astronomy because the sky’s the limit. 10. My PhD in art history is really painting a bright future for me. 11. I’m studying linguistics for my PhD because I have a way with words. 12. My thesis on the psychology of humor is really a joke that keeps on giving. 13. I’m getting a PhD in genetics because I’m naturally inclined. 14. Studying environmental science for my PhD is really planting seeds for a better future. 15. I’m writing my dissertation on the history of clocks because time flies when you’re having fun. 16. My PhD in economics is really paying dividends. 17. I’m getting a PhD in biology because I like to branch out. 18. Studying literature for my PhD is really a novel idea. 19. I’m writing my dissertation on the effects of laughter because it’s contagious. 20. My PhD in physics is really attracting a lot of positive energy.

Pun-tastic PhD Q&A (Question-and-Answer Puns)

1. Why did the PhD student become a chef? Because they wanted to earn a degree in culinary science! 2. What did the PhD student say when they won a research grant? “I’ve finally cracked the code!” 3. How did the PhD student organize their research notes? They used pi-cards! 4. Why was the PhD student always calm in stressful situations? Because they had a doctorate in chill-ology! 5. What subject did the PhD student study when they were feeling sour? Lemon-strating! 6. Why did the PhD student always carry a pencil and paper? They were always ready for a docu-mentary! 7. How did the PhD student know they were getting close to a breakthrough? They could finally sniff out some thesis-scent! 8. What did the PhD student say when they found a solution to a complex problem? “Eureka, I’ve dis-covered it!” 9. How did the PhD student communicate? They were fluent in academi-languages! 10. Why did the PhD student prefer to work in the library? It had the best study peer-review! 11. How did the PhD student feel after successfully defending their thesis? They were on top of the world – doctorate Everest! 12. Why did the PhD student always carry a ruler? They were always measuring up to expectations! 13. How did the PhD student ensure their experiments were accurate? They used science-sational precision! 14. What did the PhD student say when they found a research gap? It was like finding a hole in one’s knowledge! 15. Why was the PhD student so good at multitasking? They had an advanced degree in juggling responsibilities! 16. What did the PhD student say when their research was published? “My name is in-print-tastic!” 17. How did the PhD student make mathematical calculations? They were the master of numeri-calculations! 18. Why did the PhD student love hiking? It was a great way to explore new heights of knowledge! 19. What did the PhD student say when they solved a complex equation? “Now that’s what I call math-terpiece!” 20. How did the PhD student navigate through academic challenges? They had a compass of knowledge and perseverance!

PhDoodles: The Witty World of PhD Puns

1. I’m pursuing a PhD in philosophy, or as I like to call it, a “Pondering How Deeply” degree. 2. Did you hear about the PhD candidate who believed that the key to good dental health lies in flossophy? 3. My friend’s PhD research in music theory is really striking a chord with the academic community. 4. I recently completed my PhD in geography, but let’s just say I really enjoyed exploring more than just maps. 5. As a PhD student studying astronomy, I’m always reaching for the stars… and for funding. 6. They say getting a PhD in psychology is a mind-boggling experience. I couldn’t agree more! 7. My friend’s PhD research in linguistics is all about the language of love. Talk about a bilingual heartthrob! 8. My PhD thesis in mathematics is quite the equation: long, complex, and can make your head spin if you’re not careful. 9. They told me my PhD in chemistry would require a lot of testing, and boy, were they right! There’s never a shortage of experiments to try. 10. I thought getting a PhD in archaeology would be a bit of a drag, but it turns out it’s quite the excavation! 11. I’m studying marine biology for my PhD, a field where every day feels like a tidal wave of excitement! 12. My friend’s PhD in literature is like a never-ending novel—full of analysis, suspense, and plot twists. 13. Sometimes I feel like a mad scientist in my PhD lab, dissecting data and brewing up some intriguing results. 14. I’m studying social work for my PhD, turning empathy into a science and kindness into a career. 15. Getting a PhD in physics is like diving into the unknown; you never know what mind-blowing discoveries you’ll make. 16. My friend’s PhD research in neuroscience requires a lot of brainpower… and maybe a few brain cells too! 17. I always have a “theory” that getting a PhD in economics will make me rich, but I think I might need to rethink that. 18. My PhD research in environmental science involves a lot of digging for the truth, quite literally! 19. My friend’s PhD in political science is all about finding the right balance between power and diplomacy. Quite the politician! 20. I’m studying animal behavior for my PhD, and boy, studying those cheeky monkeys can be quite an amusing experience!

PHD Puns: Doctorate Doodles

1. My friend’s dissertation on tree growth really branches out. 2. I gave up on my PhD in math because I couldn’t count on it. 3. The professor’s jokes during lectures are always a real scholarly “page-turner.” 4. My friend’s PhD research on aquatic life really made a splash in the scientific community. 5. He wrote his thesis on gravity but never really fell for it. 6. Getting a PhD in art history can really frame your career. 7. Studying psychology for a PhD can really mess with your mind. 8. Our friend’s PhD in linguistics is a real “wordsmith.” 9. My friend’s thesis on solar energy is truly enlightening. 10. The physicist’s groundbreaking research left everyone in a state of quantum “awe.” 11. My friend with a PhD in archeology is always digging up new information. 12. Applying for a PhD program in literature was a novel idea. 13. My friend’s PhD in astronomy literally reached for the stars. 14. Studying marine biology for a PhD can leave you feeling a little “crabby.” 15. After completing her PhD in history, she really made her mark on academia. 16. Our friend’s research on renewable energy really sparked a lot of interest. 17. Getting a PhD in psychology can really mess with your head. 18. My friend’s PhD in computer science really programmed him for success. 19. The biologist’s research on insects really caused a “buzz” in the scientific community. 20. My friend’s research on climate change is really a breath of fresh air.

Ph.D. Fun (Pun Juxtaposition)

1. He became a doctorate in philosophy, but could never figure out the meaning of life. 2. The physicist was a genius but struggled to tie his own shoelaces. 3. The mathematician loved numbers but couldn’t count on his fingers. 4. The archaeologist had a PhD but couldn’t find his own car keys. 5. He studied psychology, but couldn’t understand why people kept calling him crazy. 6. The biologist had a PhD but couldn’t keep a houseplant alive. 7. The linguist got a doctorate but couldn’t speak a second language fluently. 8. The historian was an expert on ancient civilizations but couldn’t remember their names. 9. The geologist studied rocks but couldn’t find his way around town. 10. He had a PhD in literature but struggled to write a simple email. 11. The computer scientist had a doctorate but couldn’t fix his own printer. 12. The economist was well-versed in financial markets but couldn’t balance his own checkbook. 13. The chemist had a PhD but always forgot to put on deodorant. 14. He studied physics but couldn’t figure out how to open a jar. 15. The art historian knew all about famous paintings but couldn’t draw a stick figure. 16. The sociologist had a PhD but rarely left the house to interact with people. 17. She specialized in genetics but couldn’t solve a simple crossword puzzle. 18. The political scientist studied governments but couldn’t navigate a voting booth. 19. The neurologist had a doctorate but couldn’t remember where he parked his car. 20. The engineer had a PhD but struggled to assemble basic Ikea furniture.

The Doctorate Discourse (Ph-Delightful Puns)

1. The Write Doctor 2. The Research ProFESSOR 3. The Thesis Whisperer 4. The Data Genie 5. The Lab Rat 6. The DigiTutor 7. The Scholarly Scribe 8. The Knowledge EnGEEk 9. The Intellectual ThinkTank 10. The Dissertation Dynamo 11. The Science Nerd 12. The Wise WordMaster 13. The Academic Guru 14. The Education Sage 15. The Intellectual Sage 16. The Study Sage 17. The Academic Artist 18. The Degree Wizard 19. The Brainy Bookworm 20. The Lecture Lover

“PhD Puns Flipping Words for Fun”

1. Quad of the Ph.D. – God of the Qh.D. 2. Philosophical Sh.D. – Sophie’s Physical Ph.D. 3. Thesis supervision – Sisisth supervision. 4. Academic research – Academic researth. 5. Peer-reviewed articles – Ear-peeved pureticles. 6. Doctoral dissertation – Doctoreal dissertation. 7. Ph.D. defense – D.PH defence. 8. Tutoring sessions – Suturing tosions. 9. Thesis committee – Seesis thommittee. 10. Research methodology – Methology researcody. 11. Doctoral program – Pectoral drogram. 12. Academic conferences – Comicademic conferemes. 13. Educational psychology – Psydicational educology. 14. Doctoral studies – St. Ductopathic dudies. 15. Graduate students – State growdent sutements. 16. Dissertation proposal – Positation dissero

PhD-larious Puns (Tom Swifties)

1. “I just defended my PhD thesis today,” Tom said confidently. 2. “Writing my dissertation was a real struggle,” Tom said painstakingly. 3. “I’m finally done with my PhD coursework,” Tom said academically. 4. “I need to edit my research paper,” Tom said studiously. 5. “I don’t know if I’m ready for my oral defense,” Tom said nervously. 6. “I have to present my findings at the conference,” Tom said confidently. 7. “I got a scholarship to pursue my PhD,” Tom said thankfully. 8. “I have so many deadlines to meet for my dissertation,” Tom said urgently. 9. “I need more references for my literature review,” Tom said extensively. 10. “I spend most of my days in the lab,” Tom said experimentally. 11. “My research methodology is quite unique,” Tom said innovatively. 12. “My advisor gave me some valuable feedback,” Tom said constructively. 13. “I’m presenting my research at an international symposium,” Tom said globally. 14. “I’m passionate about my field of study,” Tom said enthusiastically. 15. “I’m considering pursuing a PhD in a different discipline,” Tom said thoughtfully. 16. I landed a teaching assistantship to support my studies,” Tom said gratefully. 17. “My research topic is quite complex,” Tom said intellectually. 18. “I’m writing a book based on my PhD research,” Tom said creatively. 19. “I need to attend more academic conferences,” Tom said actively. 20. “I want to make a significant contribution to my field,” Tom said ambitiously.

Contradictory Doctorate Jokes (PhD Punny Paradoxes)

1. A PhD dropout, seeking higher education. 2. A PhD candidate, conducting a study on procrastination. 3. A PhD in relaxation therapy, always stressed out. 4. A PhD in time management, never enough hours in the day. 5. A PhD in decision-making, unable to choose what to have for breakfast. 6. A PhD in organization, constantly misplacing things. 7. A PhD in silence, always speaking their mind. 8. A PhD in financial planning, broke as a joke. 9. A PhD in linguistics, struggling to find the right words. 10. A PhD in patience, constantly running out of it. 11. A PhD in creativity, always experiencing writer’s block. 12. A PhD in motivation, feeling unmotivated. 13. A PhD in happiness, constantly fighting off the blues. 14. A PhD in multitasking, preferring to do one thing at a time. 15. A PhD in humility, always showing off their achievements. 16. A PhD in sleep studies, constantly awake. 17. A PhD in problem-solving, always encountering new challenges. 18. A PhD in comedy, never telling a good joke. 19. A PhD in time travel, always late for appointments. 20. A PhD in nutrition, indulging in unhealthy food choices.

Recursive Riddles (PhD Puns)

1. Did you hear about the mathematician who got his PhD in doughnuts? He made great pi rings! 2. My friend was awarded his PhD in dentistry. Now he’s always in a cavity! 3. My friend just completed his PhD in botany. Now he’s branching out! 4. My friend got his PhD in marine biology. Now he’s always making waves! 5. My friend received his PhD in music theory. Now he’s always hitting the right notes! 6. Did you hear about the chef who got his PhD in cooking? He’s really taking the spice to the next level! 7. My friend just got his PhD in astronomy, and now he’s over the moon! 8. Did you hear about the doctor who completed his PhD in medicine? He’s always prescribing a healthy dose of laughter! 9. My friend just obtained his PhD in psychology. Now he’s analyzing my dreams! 10. Did you hear about the scientist who earned his PhD in genetics? He’s always making new discoveries in his genes! 11. My friend received his PhD in history. Now he’s always turning the page! 12. Did you hear about the engineer who achieved his PhD in civil engineering? He’s always building a solid foundation! 13. My friend just completed his PhD in literature. Now he’s a real bookworm! 14. Did you hear about the mathematician who got his PhD in Geometry? He’s always getting his angles right! 15. My friend just earned his PhD in physics, and now he’s all charged up! 16. Did you hear about the artist who received his PhD in painting? He’s really making masterpieces brush by brush! 17. My friend just obtained his PhD in linguistics. Now he’s always speaking in tongues! 18. Did you hear about the economist who completed his PhD? He’s always calculating the value of a good pun! 19. My friend just earned his PhD in computer science. Now he’s coding his way to success! 20. Did you hear about the biologist who got his PhD? He’s always exploring new species and branching out!

“PhD’s Guide: Pundamentals for Academic Wits”

1. I got my PhD in philosophy, but it didn’t bring me any enlightenment. It just left me with a lot of student loans. 2. The best piece of advice I received during my PhD was to always take notes, because some day they might fetch a pretty penny at a research garage sale. 3. They say a PhD is just a fancy piece of paper, but I prefer to think of it as a passport to endless job applications. 4. A PhD is like a marathon – it’s an exhausting journey that goes on for years, and the finish line seems to always be just out of reach. 5. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a committee to approve a PhD dissertation. 6. My PhD was like a rollercoaster ride – filled with ups and downs, and at some point, I just wanted to scream. 7. They say a PhD is like being married to your research – you dedicate your life to it, and there’s no escape until the day you defend. 8. Getting a PhD is like climbing Mount Everest – it’s a long and treacherous journey, and you might lose a few brain cells along the way. 9. They say a PhD is just a piece of paper, but it’s the most expensive piece of paper I’ve ever owned. 10. My PhD was like a puzzle with missing pieces – I spent years trying to find them, and in the end, some are still lost. 11. They say a PhD is the ultimate achievement, but sometimes it feels like you’ve just unlocked a higher level of unemployment. 12. My PhD was like a never-ending maze – just when I thought I found the way out, I stumbled upon another dead end. 13. They say a PhD is like a badge of honor, but it’s more like a permanent scar on your psyche. 14. My PhD was like a complex math problem – it had multiple solutions, but my professor only accepted one. 15. They say a PhD is like a piece of art – it’s a masterpiece you create with your mind, but it’s not guaranteed to sell. 16. My PhD journey was like a never-ending dark tunnel – I kept moving forward, hoping to find the light at the end, but it was always just out of reach. 17. They say a PhD is like a marathon – you may hit a wall at some point, but the key is to keep pushing through. 18. My PhD was like a game of chess – I had to strategically plan each move, and if I made the wrong one, it could lead to checkmate. 19. They say a PhD is like a rite of passage – you endure trials and tribulations, and in the end, you come out stronger (and with an immeasurable amount of stress). 20. My PhD was like a never-ending puzzle – just when I thought I had all the pieces, I realized I was missing a whole section.

In conclusion, if you’ve been drowning in academic stress, these 200+ PhD puns are just the ticket to lighten the mood and tickle your funny bone! But don’t stop here, there are even more puns waiting to bring a smile to your face on our website. We hope you’ve had a great time with us and thank you for taking the time to visit!

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15 things to remember if you’ve started to hate your PhD

Jun 1, 2021

Have you checked out the rest of  The PhD Knowledge Base ? It’s home to hundreds more free resources and guides, written especially for PhD students. 

It’s entirely normal to hate your PhD from time to time. The further you travel on the PhD journey, the more you start to resent the thesis. 

That’s natural – spend years working on something, often with little immediate reward, and it natural that you will start to crumble. 

Here we’ve put together a list of 15 things to remind yourself of if you’re started to lose motivation. They’ll remind you of all that’s special about your thesis and, hopefully, inject some enthusiasm back into your relationship with it. 

Interested in group workshops, cohort-courses and a free PhD learning & support community? 

The team behind The PhD Proofreaders have launched The PhD People, a free learning and community platform for PhD students. Connect, share and learn with other students, and boost your skills with cohort-based workshops and courses.

1. you should work less.

I find that most people fall into one of two camps.

There are those who throw themselves into their work, always chained to their desk and never feeling like they’re on top of things.

Then there are those who get easily distracted, putting things off to the last minute and feeling guilty that they’re always a little behind.

In both cases the outcome is the same: long hours spent working, with the fatigue and the stress that comes with it.

But what about doing less work? What about being more selective with your time, and more selective with what’s on your to do list, such that you didn’t have as much to do at all?

It means accepting that your value and output is not measured on the basis of how many hours you put in, or how much work you get done. It’s measured instead on the quality of the work, and on the level of focus you can achieve.

So if you find yourself burning the candle at both ends, ask yourself whether what you really need to do is work less.

2. Don’t Push Away Negative Thoughts

3. remember that your phd is trying to drown you, 4. routines come and go.

For many, the simplest way of making the PhD journey more manageable is to develop consistent routines. 

For me, that involves going on a morning walk, exercising a few times a week, getting my emails and admin done first thing in the morning, and going to bed at roughly the same time.

But it’s easy to slip out of routines. We may be away from home, or the holiday season may disrupt our daily rhythm.

Whatever it is, we can start to drop the good habits we carefully nurture and start to pick up unhealthy ones – we might start exercising less, eating more processed foods, or staying up late.

When that happens to me, I can quickly start to feel anxious about whatever it is I’m working on. That makes sense; if routines introduce stability into our lives, it’s logical that disrupting those routines can mean we feel ungrounded and out of sorts.

If you can relate this holiday season, go easy on yourself. Like everything in life, this is temporary. As long as you’re conscious of what good routines looks like, and as long as you’re conscious that you’re temporarily departing from them, it won’t be long before you get back into healthy habits once the thing disrupting your routine has passed.

5. Ask Yourself: Are You Biting Off More Than You Can Chew?

6. set your intentions, 7. embrace the crappy drafts, 8. remind yourself that phds are hard.

Finding your PhD hard is kind of the point.

Repeat after me: if you’re finding your PhD hard it doesn’t mean you’re a failure, it means you’re doing it right.

9. Keep failing

10. remember that you’re never going to please everyone, 11. you’re going to get criticised, 12. don’t focus (too much) on the problems, 13. you have to admit when you’re wrong, 14. ask yourself: am i a perfectionist.

Most of the PhD students I talk to are perfectionists. You probably are too. 

With perfectionism comes a desire to have control over day-to-day life, knowledge of what’s going to happen in the short term, and the certainty that the PhD thesis will be, well, perfect. 

And then along comes coronavirus. 

Your day-to-day life has been disrupted as you work from home and away from you normal routines, you’ve got no way of knowing what will happen in the short or long term, and you may worry that your thesis will be sub-optimal as you step away from fieldwork, labs and supervisors.

The perfectionist in you is panicking, right? 

Perfectionism is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it can fill you with drive, passion, dedication and motivation. It can inspire you to try your hardest and do your best. It’s likely what got you on to your PhD programme in the first place. 

But at the same time, it has a dark side. For as much as it can inspire, it can lead to panic. Anxiety, worry and dread often follow in the footsteps of perfectionism, such that when you lose control over your reality, or when you get things wrong, make mistakes or produce something sub-optimal, you panic. What starts off as a simple mistake can quickly become the end of the world.

Part of the challenge of doing a PhD, and particularly in the current context, is learning to embrace imperfection and recognising that sub-optimal does not necessarily mean failure. Managing perfectionism involves reminding yourself that you’re only human, and that humans face stresses, make mistakes and sometimes struggle to produce their best work. Even the brightest and most competent of people have off days. 

The more you can remind yourself of that, the better equipped you’ll be to deal with what life throws at you and your thesis. 

15. Lastly, Remember That It’s Okay Not To Be Productive

Your PhD thesis. All on one page.

Use our free PhD structure template to quickly visualise every element of your thesis. 

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Thanks for the encouragement and all… but, I keep failing, and I understand it is a process. But because of my failures I’m about to be fired from my PhD. :( It is hard, yes. I keep messing up and failing, yes. I’m getting fired, yes.

Thanks for the kind words. I hope things work out for you.

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• Your PhD and Covid
• Mastering your theory and literature review chapters
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• Resources designed for non-native English speakers
• PhD Writing Template
• Explore our back-catalogue of motivational advice

PhD Jokes And Puns

These funny PhD jokes and puns are a real lesson in humor! In fact, they’re in a class of their own! No need to doctor them, they get top marks just as they are!

Funny PhD Jokes

Flight attendant: one passenger is having a heart attack and one passenger is having an asthma attack.

Dad: “My first son has a PhD in arts, my daughter has two degrees in communication and journalism and my youngest son is a burglar.”

The man, shocked, replies, “Then why are you celebrating?”

What’s the difference between a jungle cat who wrote his PhD thesis on the economic effects of taxation, and the order of insects that includes butterflies and moths?

So, I have this friend who studied to become an Egyptologist.

As far as I’m concerned, it is a pyramid scheme.

“Come on, you know that’s impossible! No one will publish such rubbish.” says the fox.

They both go into the rabbit’s dwelling and after a while, the rabbit emerges with a satisfied expression on his face.

“Hello, what are we doing these days?”

“I’m writing the second chapter of my thesis, on how rabbits devour wolves.”

“Are you crazy? Where is your academic honesty?”

The moral: It’s not the contents of your thesis that are important – it’s your PhD advisor that really counts.

What do you call someone who does a BA in Arts, a MA in English and a PhD in Gender Studies?

Luckily I’m a statistician.

What’s the difference between a PhD in mathematics and a large pizza?

A large pizza can feed a family of four.

An illiterate dad and his son who has a PhD in astronomy went camping.

After dinner they went to sleep.

He woke his son up and asked him, “What do you see?”

His father interrupted, “No you idiot, someone stole the tent.”

A brain sturgeon.

Jokes About PhDs

If you liked these hilarious pun and jokes about PhDs, be sure to check out the rest of LaffGaff for lots more funny jokes, such as these:

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60 Sex-Relevant Terms You May Not Know — and Why You Should

As sex-relevant words proliferate, so do our ways of living and loving..

Posted April 6, 2017 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

• The Fundamentals of Sex
• Take our Romantic Personality Test
• Find a sex therapist near me

Matters of sex, relationships, sexual orientation , and gender identity all used to seem much simpler than they are now — even if they really weren’t. Now, the list of letters that used to be limited to LGBT never stops growing.

The additions to all the sexual orientations include some non-sexual , or not very sexual, orientations. We’ve also learned to appreciate orientations other than sexual ones, such as orientations toward relationships. A binary that once seemed utterly self-evident, male vs. female, is now routinely questioned.

Reading a terrific thesis, “Party of One,” by Kristen Bernhardt, woke me up to the proliferation of new concepts relevant to relationships, sexual orientations, gender identities, and more. (Thank you, Kristen.) So I set out to spend an evening gathering some relevant definitions.

Many days later, I was still at it. I admit to shaking my head in exasperation a few times along the way. Ultimately, though, I ended up feeling enormously optimistic . No longer is there just one way to approach sex, love, or relationships that is valued and appreciated.

People who, not so very long ago, may have wondered what was wrong with them now have a new answer: Nothing. People who secretly wondered why romantic relationships were valued above all others can now find validation for their perspective. Maybe they aren’t oddballs, but forward-looking, open-minded, democratic thinkers.

I’ll share definitions for 60 terms — just a sampling of the universe of possibilities that are out there. One of the most comprehensive sources I found was a glossary provided by the University of California at Davis. Unless I specifically mention one of the other sources I drew from, my definitions are from that glossary.

To try to make sense of the 60 terms, I’ve organized them into five sections. Other categorizations would have been possible.

• Sex vs. gender: What’s the difference? And what about sexual orientation vs. gender identity ?
• What is your sexual orientation?
• What kind of attraction do you feel toward other people?
• What is your orientation toward relationships?
• How do you value different relationships?

I. Sex vs. gender: what’s the difference? And what about sexual orientation vs. gender identity?

“Sex” and “gender” aren’t the same.

• Sex (1) is “a medically constructed category often assigned based on the appearance of the genitalia, either in ultrasound or at birth.”
• Gender (2) is “a social construct used to classify a person as a man, woman, or some other identity.”

Remember when we thought there were just two sexes, male and female, and everyone just assumed that anyone born male or female was, in fact, a male or a female? Now it is much more complicated. Here are some of the concepts that challenge those notions:

• Non-binary (3) : “A gender identity and experience that embraces a full universe of expressions and ways of being that resonate for an individual. It may be an active resistance to binary gender expectations and/or an intentional creation of new unbounded ideas of self within the world. For some people who identify as non-binary there may be overlap with other concepts and identities like gender expansive and gender non-conforming.”
• Gender expansive (4) : “An umbrella term used for individuals who broaden their own culture’s commonly held definitions of gender, including expectations for its expression, identities, roles, and/or other perceived gender norms. Gender expansive individuals include those who identify as transgender , as well as anyone else whose gender in some way is seen to be stretching the surrounding society’s notion of gender.”
• Gender non-conforming (5) : “People who do not subscribe to gender expressions or roles expected of them by society.”
• Gender fluid (6) : “A person whose gender identification and presentation shifts, whether within or outside of societal, gender-based expectations. Being fluid in motion between two or more genders.”
• Bigender (7) : “Having two genders, exhibiting cultural characteristics of masculine and feminine roles.”
• Gender queer (8) : “A person whose gender identity and/or gender expression falls outside of the dominant societal norm for their assigned sex, is beyond genders, or is some combination of them.”
• Polygender (9) or Pangender (10) : “Exhibiting characteristics of multiple genders, deliberately refuting the concept of only two genders.”
• Neutrois (11) : “A non-binary gender identity that falls under the genderqueer or transgender umbrellas. There is no one definition of Neutrois, since each person that self-identifies as such experiences their gender differently. The most common ones are: Neutral-gender (12), Null-gender (13), Neither male nor female (14), Genderless (15) and/or Agender (16) .”

At Aeon , Rebecca Reilly-Cooper challenged the notion that gender is a spectrum . At Vox , 12 people explained why the male/female binary doesn’t work for them .

Sexual orientation and gender identity aren’t the same.

• Gender identity (17) : When you say that you are a man or a woman, you are describing your gender identity. Gender identity is “a sense of one’s self as trans,* genderqueer, woman, man, or some other identity, which may or may not correspond with the sex and gender one is assigned at birth.” (For more on trans* and genderqueer, see the section below, “What is your sexual orientation?”) Transgender is a gender orientation; it is also included in the list of letters referring to sexual orientations.
• Sexual orientation (18) : “an enduring emotional, romantic, sexual or affectional attraction or non-attraction to other people.”

II. What is your sexual orientation?

If you are old enough, you may remember a time when “straight” and “gay” (or heterosexual and homosexual) covered all the sexual orientations that got any attention . Gay people were often described as queer (and worse) when the word was still solely a pejorative.

The terms then expanded to include LGBT : lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. A lesbian (19) is “a woman whose primary sexual and affectional orientation is toward people of the same gender.” Although “gay” (20) has often been used to refer to men who are attracted to other men, it is also used more broadly to refer to anyone attracted to someone of the same sex. Bisexuals (21) are attracted to both men and women, though not always to the same degree. Transgender (22) people are also called “trans” (23) or “trans*” (24) (the asterisk “indicates the option to fill in the appropriate label, i.e., Trans man”). The term “describes a wide range of identities and experiences of people whose gender identity and/or expression differs from conventional expectations based on their assigned sex at birth.”

Trans Man and Trans Woman are further explained by the Resource Center at the University of California at San Diego:

• Trans Man/Trans Male (25) : “A female-to-male (FTM) transgender person who was assigned female at birth, but whose gender identity is that of a man.” FTM is sometimes expressed as F2M.
• Trans Woman/Trans Female (26) : “A male-to-female (MTF) transgender person who was assigned male at birth, but whose gender identity is that of a woman.” MTF is sometimes expressed as M2F.

If you are not transgender, you may think that you don’t need a special term. But you have one. You are cisgender (28) : “a gender identity, or performance in a gender role, that society deems to match the person’s assigned sex at birth. The prefix cis- means ‘on this side of’ or ‘not across’.”

The list of letters has continued to expand. The letters added most often are QIA, giving us LGBTQIA .

• Q stands for Queer or for Questioning.
• Queer (29) is a broad label, which can refer to “people whose gender, gender expression and/or sexuality do not conform to dominant expectations.” It is sometimes used even more broadly to refer to “not fitting into norms” of all sorts, including size, physical abilities, and more.
• Questioning (30) is “the process of exploring one’s own gender identity, gender expression, and/or sexual orientation.”
• I is for Intersex (31) : “People who naturally (that is, without any medical intervention) develop primary or secondary sex characteristics that do not fit neatly into society's definitions of male or female… Hermaphrodite (32) is an outdated and inaccurate term that has been used to describe intersex people in the past.”

[Another A word is Allosexual, which is very different from Asexual. Allosexual (36) is “a sexual orientation generally characterized by feeling sexual attraction or a desire for partnered sexuality.”]

[Still another A word — one that does not describe a sexual orientation — is ally. Allyship (37) is “the action of working to end oppression through support of, and as an advocate with and for, a group other than one’s own.”]

There’s more. Among the other letters sometimes added to the list are P and K, giving us LGBTQIAPK .

• P can refer to Pansexual (or Omnisexual) or Polyamorous .
• Pansexual (38) and Omnisexual (39) are “terms used to describe people who have romantic, sexual or affectionate desire for people of all genders and sexes.”
• Polyamory (40) “denotes consensually being in/open to multiple loving relationships at the same time. Some polyamorists (polyamorous people) consider ‘poly’ to be a relationship orientation. Sometimes used as an umbrella term for all forms of ethical, consensual, and loving non-monogamy.”
• K stands for Kink (41) . According to Role/Reboot , “‘K’ would cover those who practice bondage and discipline, dominance-submission and/or sado-masochism, as well as those with an incredibly diverse set of fetishes and preferences.” If you are rolling your eyes, consider this: “According to survey data, around 15% of adults engage in some form of consensual sexual activity along the ‘kink’ spectrum. This is a higher percentage than those who identify as gay or lesbian.”

Not everyone identifies as either sexual or asexual. Some consider asexuality as a spectrum that includes, for example, demisexuals and greysexuals. These definitions are from AVEN :

• Demisexual (42) : “Someone who can only experience sexual attraction after an emotional bond has been formed. This bond does not have to be romantic in nature.”
• Gray-asexual (gray-a) (43) or gray-sexual (44) : “Someone who identifies with the area between asexuality and sexuality, for example because they experience sexual attraction very rarely, only under specific circumstances, or of an intensity so low that it's ignorable.” (Colloquially, sometimes called grey-ace (45) .)

There is also more than one variety of polyamory. An important example is solo polyamory. At Solopoly , Amy Gahran describes it this way:

• Solo polyamory (46) : “What distinguishes solo poly people is that we generally do not have intimate relationships which involve (or are heading toward) primary-style merging of life infrastructure or identity along the lines of the traditional social relationship escalator. For instance, we generally don’t share a home or finances with any intimate partners. Similarly, solo poly people generally don’t identify very strongly as part of a couple (or triad etc.); we prefer to operate and present ourselves as individuals.” As Kristen Bernhardt pointed out in her thesis, solo poly people often say: “I am my own primary partner.”

(For a definition of “relationship elevator,” see the section below, “What is your orientation toward relationships?”)

III. What kind of attraction do you feel toward other people?

Interpersonal attraction is not just sexual. AVEN lists these different kinds of attraction (47) (“emotional force that draws people together”):

• Aesthetic attraction (48) : “Attraction to someone’s appearance, without it being romantic or sexual.”
• Romantic attraction (49) : “Desire of being romantically involved with another person.”
• Sensual attraction (50) : “Desire to have physical non-sexual contact with someone else, like affectionate touching.”
• Sexual attraction (51) : “Desire to have sexual contact with someone else, to share our sexuality with them.”

Asexual is the term used for people who do not feel sexual attraction. Another term, aromantic, describes something different. According to the AVEN wiki :

• Aromantic (52) : “A person who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others. Where romantic people have an emotional need to be with another person in a romantic relationship, aromantics are often satisfied with friendships and other non-romantic relationships.” (Want to know more? Check out these five myths about aromanticism from Buzzfeed .)

People who experience romantic attraction have crushes. Aromantics have squishes. Again, from the AVEN wiki :

• Squish (53) : “Strong desire for some kind of platonic (nonsexual, nonromantic) connection to another person. The concept of a squish is similar in nature to the idea of a ‘friend crush.’ A squish can be towards anyone of any gender and a person may also have many squishes, all of which may be active.”

IV. What is your orientation toward relationships? (For example, do you prefer monogamy? Do you think your relationships should progress in a certain way?)

Many of the alternatives to monogamy fit under the umbrella term of “ethical non-monogamy.”

• Monogamy (54) : “Having only one intimate partner at a time.”
• Consensual non-monogamy ( or ethical non-monogamy) (55) : “all the ways that you can consciously, with agreement and consent from all involved, explore love and sex with multiple people.” (The definition is from Gracie X, who explores six varieties here . Polyamory is just one of them.)

According to the conventional wisdom , romantic relationships are expected to progress in a certain way. That’s called the “ relationship escalator .” Amy Gahran describes it this way:

• Relationship escalator (56) : “The default set of societal expectations for intimate relationships. Partners follow a progressive set of steps, each with visible markers, toward a clear goal. The goal at the top of the Escalator is to achieve a permanently monogamous (sexually and romantically exclusive between two people), cohabitating marriage — legally sanctioned if possible. In many cases, buying a house and having kids is also part of the goal. Partners are expected to remain together at the top of the Escalator until death. The Escalator is the standard by which most people gauge whether a developing intimate relationship is significant, ‘serious,’ good, healthy, committed or worth pursuing or continuing.”

V. How do you value different relationships?

Do you think that everyone should be in a romantic relationship, that everyone wants to be in a romantic relationship, and that such a relationship is more important than any other? Thanks to the philosopher Elizabeth Brake , there’s a name for that assumption, amatonormativity . Importantly, amatonormativity is an assumption, not a fact. A related concept is mononormativity. (The definition below is Robin Bauer’s, as described in Kristen Bernhardt’s thesis.) In the same family of concepts is heteronormativity. (Definition below is from Miriam-Webster .) An entirely different way of thinking about relationships has been described by Andie Nordgren in her concept of “relationship anarchy.”

• Amatonormativity (57) : “The assumption that a central, exclusive, amorous relationship is normal for humans, in that it is a universally shared goal, and that such a relationship is normative, in the sense that it should be aimed at in preference to other relationship types.” (Drake Baer’s discussion of the concept in New York magazine is excellent.)
• Mononormativity (58) : “Based on the taken for granted allegation that monogamy and couple-shaped arranged relationships are the principle of social relations per se, an essential foundation of human existence and the elementary, almost natural pattern of living together.”
• Heteronormative (59) : “Of, relating to, or based on the attitude that heterosexuality is the only normal and natural expression of sexuality.”
• Relationship anarchy (60) : “Relationship anarchists are often highly critical of conventional standards that prioritize romantic and sex-based relationships over non-sexual or non-romantic relationships. Instead, RA seeks to eliminate specific distinctions between or hierarchical valuations of friendship versus love-based relationships, so that love-based relationships are no more valuable than are platonic friendships.”

Bella DePaulo, Ph.D. , an expert on single people, is the author of Single at Heart and other books. She is an Academic Affiliate in Psychological & Brain Sciences, UCSB.

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abbreviation for

• Doctor of Philosophy AlsoDPhil

Example Sentences

He also bragged about earning a PhD, a point Smerconish did not question.

Even his nametag played up his dweeby nature, labeling him “Mr. Gruber, PhD.”

Throughout her life, she faced public ridicule, legal persecution and, eventually, redemption through a PhD in clinical sexology.

“It is impossible by elections to choose normal people,” argues Yoram Gat, an Israeli software engineer with a PhD in statistics.

The son of Taiwanese immigrants, he grew up in California and earned his PhD in neuroscience at Stanford.

Damn few of them got it from me, I'm happy to say, and those that did, knew more about the subject than most PhD's.

It was a great diversion from the late nights working on my PhD.

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Should I write "PhD" or "Ph.D."?

Question pretty self-explanatory. Should the abbreviation of the Latin term philosophiae doctor be written as PhD (no periods) or Ph.D. (with periods)?

• abbreviations

• 1 You have a couple of correct answers below. Personally I avoid periods in abbreviations, so I would use PhD, just as I would say Washington DC using the postal code abbreviation DC rather than the historical abbreviation D.C. (District of Columbia). –  Wayne Commented May 17, 2011 at 12:38

6 Answers 6

Actually both are correct. I could easily find both on my NOAD, and there are plenty of pages on the net where you find it written as "PhD".

The OALD gives an interesting distinction, stating that Ph.D. is especially North American English.

Now, being a non-native speaker, I can only rely on official sources to state who uses what , but there's no doubt that both variants are used.

Lastly, I think there's really no point in distinguishing them as " Philosophiae Doctor " or " Doctor of Philosophy " because it's the same exact expression, although considering the abbreviation, the former is the correct and original long version, the latter is just the English translation.

• 1 Collins English Dictionary shows a separate abbreviation if you want to specify the degree in English: "DPhil". (Also at dictionary.reference.com/browse/phd , just further down the page.) –  MT_Head Commented May 17, 2011 at 9:52
• @MT_Head: Thanks for commenting. With "if you want to specify the degree in English" you mean "being unambiguous"? –  Alenanno Commented May 17, 2011 at 9:54
• Indeed. To give an anecdotal example: in the company I used to work for, which was British, people didn't tend to use periods for abbreviations of degrees, e.g. MSc , PhD . I now work for an American company, where the convention is to use them, hence Ph.D. –  Steve Melnikoff Commented May 17, 2011 at 9:55
• I see, I was thinking of that before honestly, since PhD (or PHD) can be other things too... Thanks for pointing it out! –  Alenanno Commented May 17, 2011 at 10:04
• 6 @MT_Head DPhil is also what a PhD is called at Oxford. If you use DPhil then a BE speaker would assume you specifically mean Oxford. –  mgb Commented May 17, 2011 at 15:07

PhD and Ph.D. are both correct. Canadians tend to omit the periods and those from the U.S. tend to keep them. A reference grammar explains it like this:

2  abbreviations and acronyms 1  punctuation We usually write abbreviations without full stops in modern British English. Full stops (AmE ‘periods’) are normal in American English.   Mr (AmE Mr. ) = Mister (not usually written in full)   kg (AmE kg. ) = kilogram  […]

Quote source: Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage (Third Edition). page 2.

I tend to use both 'PhD' and 'Ph.D'. A DPhil is awarded at both Oxford Uni and Sussex Uni in England. All others award PhDs to my knowledge.

It bugs me when people use 'Dr' before their name and then also state the award following it. I feel it should be one or the other.

• Agree with Dr being used with PhD part. –  Failed Scientist Commented Jul 28, 2016 at 10:19
• 4 "Oh, I'm going to get some cash out of this ATM machine." –  hBy2Py Commented Mar 31, 2017 at 17:00
• 1 @hBy2Py : Ha! That's an example of the ironically named RAS syndrome (Redundant Acronym Syndrome syndrome). According to Wikipedia the term was coined in 2001 in a light-hearted column in New Scientist, though I haven't a reference for the original article. On the original question, during my lifetime (started in the 1950s) in the UK there has been a slow but steady move to reduce the use of punctuation and capitalisation in print. This has been driven in part by the newspaper industry, though I can't give any source other than the say-so of journalist friends. –  Duckspindle Commented Sep 3, 2022 at 12:17

As many noted, both are accepted, so it is a matter of convention and taste.

The important is to be consistent with the other abbreviations you use throughout your text. Compare:

• I got a Ph.D. in A.I. at U.C.L.A in the U.S.
• I got a PhD in AI at UCLA in the US.

My personal preference goes for omitting periods, given that this is an abbreviation, following the Guardian style guide :

Do not use full points in abbreviations, or spaces between initials, including those in proper names

I remember discussing this with a trained secretary a long time ago. We eventually decided that the use of camel case (starting each abbreviated word in upper case) removes the need for the periods when abbreviating titles. However, when an abbreviation is relatively new or used in an unusual context, the periods help to avoid ambiguity.

For my own use, the overriding consideration is 'house style'. It is more important for a document to be internally consistent, to avoid confusion.

• Bobble's "house style" consideration typically applies not just to a single document but also, as the name implies, to all documents emanating from the same "house". For example, my academic discipline (linguistics) traditionally employs the no-periods convention for all titles (not only PhD, MA, and BA but also Mr, Dr, and Prof), while the style enforcer at my academic institution (an American university) insists that I sprinkle periods around (for a total of 9 in my 6 examples). –  H Stephen Straight Commented Feb 12, 2013 at 22:32

The most common I have seen are:

I have rarely come across a Ph.D. (with two periods).

• 28 Ugh. Ph.D looks like the inconsistent worst of all worlds. –  user1579 Commented May 17, 2011 at 16:57

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged abbreviations latin periods or ask your own question .

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abbreviation or noun

Definition of phd, examples of phd in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'PhD.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

New Latin philosophiae doctor

1839, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near PhD

Cite this entry.

“PhD.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/PhD. Accessed 14 Aug. 2024.

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What exactly does a PhD mean/entail?

I'd like to know some things. I feel my understanding is flawed and I am not looking for cookie cutter type answers that I might find with a simple Google search.

When you are pursuing a PhD (or equivalent) , what are you doing in simple terms?

What is the purpose of the pursuit and/or obtainment of a PhD?

Does one really need to have a master's degree in order to pursue and obtain a PhD?

If anyone would like to expand upon my questions, please do.

I thank you all in advance.

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