beletter

Etymology

From be- + letter.

beletter means to add letters (indicating rank or education etc.) to one's name as little more than decoration. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

Why this word is great

BELETTER — [Verb] To append letters indicating rank or academic honors to one's name, often in a manner considered merely decorative. From the English prefix be- (used to form verbs meaning 'to affect with') + letter (a written character). Unlike "accredit" (which confers genuine standing) or "adorn" (which lacks this specific titular vanity), to beletter is to engage in a quiet heraldry of the self. It is the embossed business card thick with post-nominal frippery, the email signature bloated with certifications from obscure institutions, the nameplate groaning under the weight of unearned acronyms—a secular ritual of accumulating symbols to ward off the terror of being merely, simply, oneself.

verb

To add letters (indicating rank or education etc.) to one's name as little more than decoration