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Preposition after adjective

Emeritus of or emeritus at?

Emeritus is usually part of a title such as professor emeritus. Of and at normally belong to the institution phrase, not to emeritus itself.

Quick answer

Does emeritus take a preposition?

Emeritus normally follows a title, especially in academic contexts. In phrases like professor emeritus of history at Oxford, of connects to the subject area and at connects to the institution.

professor emeritus of chemistry
director emeritus at the institute

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
title + emeritus of + field

Naming an academic field

Of introduces the subject or department connected to the title.

professor emeritus of economics
2
title + emeritus at + institution

Naming an organisation

At introduces the institution or organisation.

chairman emeritus at the foundation

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
emeritus of
professor emeritus of literature
of introduces the academic field
emeritus at
president emeritus at the university
at introduces the institution or organisation

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Treating emeritus as a regular adjective with fixed prepositions

The prepositions usually relate to the title or institution, not directly to emeritus.

✓ She is professor emeritus of law at the college.

Placing emeritus before the title

Emeritus usually follows the title.

✕ emeritus professor of biology ✓ professor emeritus of biology

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. He is professor emeritus ___ physics.
2. She serves as director emeritus ___ the museum.
3. They honoured the professor emeritus ___ the university.

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Frequently asked questions

What does emeritus mean?

It describes someone retired from an important professional position while keeping the title as an honour.

Is professor emeritus the standard order?

Yes. Emeritus normally follows the professional title.

Can emeritus be used outside universities?

Yes. It can also appear in organisations, businesses, and cultural institutions.

eager-for-to-in-about, on "early in", "early on" or "early for"? earnest in, with, on, for or at? easy for, on, in, to or with? "economical with" or "economical in"? "ecstatic about" or "ecstatic with"? "effective in", "effective at" or "effective for"? "efficient in" or "efficient at"? elderly in, with, at, of or as? elegant in, with, of, as or to? eligible for, to, in or under? "embarrassed by" or "embarrassed about"?

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