As a scholar, you may have heard the term “Doctorate” used to describe someone who has graduated with a PhD. This is both true and not true. It’s true because some people receive honorary doctorates as part of their degree. Still, it’s also not true: no official rules govern who gets an honorary degree or how they’re awarded. In this blog, we’ll explain what constitutes an honorary doctorate and why these distinctions matter—and then we’ll give you examples of famous people who have been given honorary degrees!