accolade

American  

[ak-uh-leyd, -lahd] / ˈæk əˌleɪd, -ˌlɑd /

noun

1. any award, honor, or laudatory notice.

   The play received accolades from the press.

2. a light touch on the shoulder with the flat side of the sword or formerly by an embrace, done in the ceremony of conferring knighthood.

3. the ceremony itself.

4. Music. a brace joining several staves.

5. Architecture.

   1. an archivolt or hood molding having more or less the form of an ogee arch.

   2. a decoration having more or less the form of an ogee arch, cut into a lintel or flat arch.

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accolade British  

/ ˈækəˌleɪd, ˌækəˈleɪd /

noun

1. strong praise or approval; acclaim

2. an award or honour

3. the ceremonial gesture used to confer knighthood, originally an embrace, now a touch on the shoulder with a sword

4. a rare word for brace

5. architect a curved ornamental moulding, esp one having the shape of an ogee arch

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Usage

What is an accolade? An accolade is an award, honor, or instance of positive acknowledgment or praise. The word is typically used in the context of honors and praise that have been given to a person throughout their professional career. It is especially used to refer to prestigious awards and honors that not many people receive. The adjective accoladed can be used to describe a person who has received many accolades, but the term is rarely used. The word accolade is also used in a few technical ways in the context of music and architecture. Example: It would take too long to list her many accolades, which range from professional awards to humanitarian honors to public messages of praise from her peers in the field.

Other Word Forms

• accoladed adjective

Etymology

Origin of accolade

First recorded in 1615–25; from French, derivative of accolée “embrace” (with -ade -ade ¹ ), noun use of feminine past participle of Old French accoler, verb derivative of col “neck” ( collar ), with a- a- ⁵

Explanation

A knight being honored with the tap of a sword blade was the earliest form of accolade. Today, an accolade is more than a way to bestow knighthood: It is a form of praise or an award. In the early 17th century, the French accoler meant "to embrace the neck," which was done as part of a knighthood ceremony. By the 19th century, accolade came to mean "award." A person who achieves a goal in research or service may receive an official certificate or a medal as an accolade of achievement. A performer or speaker might get accolades in the form of applause from the audience. Rarely do these types of accolades involve a sword.

Example Sentences

Lynch received the Nero Book Awards' debut fiction accolade last month, and has now also received the overall prize for the best book of 2025.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

"Thank you so much for believing in me when I didn't really believe in myself sometimes," an emotional Dean said as she accepted the best album accolade.

From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026

But as “Kokuho’s” characters seek such an accolade for themselves, they come to realize how misleading it is.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

Bojan is the only foreign recipient of the Werner Holzer Award, an accolade honoring the body of work of German foreign correspondents.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

You had to be rude at least sometimes and edgy often to be credited with “personality,” and without that accolade no one at Devon could be anyone.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

Related Words

• distinction
• kudos