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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Four-time Academy Award nominee Denis Villeneuve, currently working on the third ‘Dune’ film, will direct the next film in the long-running James Bond franchise.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

Some scenes for the Rocky Horror Picture Show were recorded at the studios in 1974 and Ridley Scott built and shot the miniatures for his Academy Award winning sci-fi thriller Alien there in 1978.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

Talankin, 35, a videographer from a small-town Russian school, caused a sensation when he won the Academy Award for best documentary feature alongside US filmmaker David Borenstein in March.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

Mubi distributed four of this year’s five Academy Award nominees for best international film in certain markets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 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