Emeritus

An emeritus () or emerita () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". The term emeritus does not necessarily signify a person has relinquished all the duties of their former position. They may be obligated or allowed to perform some tasks, though usually in a more limited capacity than full-time. The term is occasionally conferred automatically upon all persons who retire at a given rank, but in others, it remains a mark of distinguished performance (usually in the area of research) awarded selectively on retirement. It is also used when a person of distinction in a profession retires or hands over the position, enabling their former rank to be retained in their title. In descriptions of deceased professors emeriti listed at U.S. universities, the title emeritus is replaced by an indication of the years of their appointments, except in obituaries, where it may be used to indicate their status at the time of death.