Academy Award

American

Trademark.

an annual award given to a performer, director, technician, etc., of the motion-picture industry for superior achievement in a specific category: judged by the voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and symbolized by the presentation of an Oscar.

Academy Award British

noun

the official name for an Oscar

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Academy Award

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

Academy Award

Awards, as well as two Academy Award nominations and a Primetime Emmy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

Astaire’s recording helped propel “The Way You Look Tonight” to six weeks atop “Your Hit Parade,” and the song won an Academy Award.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

His career spanned more than five decades, during which he received several major honours, including the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and lifetime achievement honours.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

He won an Academy Award for best documentary for "Taxi to the Dark Side," which tackles the US military's interrogation practices in Afghanistan.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

The film grossed more than $7 million and was nominated for an Academy Award.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023