accolade
Americannoun
-
any award, honor, or laudatory notice.
The play received accolades from the press.
-
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.
-
the ceremony itself.
-
Music. a brace joining several staves.
-
Architecture.
-
an archivolt or hood molding having more or less the form of an ogee arch.
-
a decoration having more or less the form of an ogee arch, cut into a lintel or flat arch.
-
noun
-
strong praise or approval; acclaim
-
an award or honour
-
the ceremonial gesture used to confer knighthood, originally an embrace, now a touch on the shoulder with a sword
-
a rare word for brace
-
architect a curved ornamental moulding, esp one having the shape of an ogee arch
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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” ( see 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.
Vocabulary lists containing accolade
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 Words to Make You Sound Smart
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Academy Awards, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Mbappe struck eight times to win the Golden Boot in Qatar in 2022 but faces fierce competition to retain the accolade.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
But for range and ambition, John Dos Passos’ three-volume magnum opus makes a claim to the accolade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
England and Tuchel will hope Kane can set the seal on that accolade by leading them to long-awaited World Cup glory.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
He received Bafta's Richard Dimbleby Award for the best factual contribution to television in 2005, and the Bafta Fellowship - the organisation's highest accolade - in 2015.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
What a fine accolade for his legend, Lazlo thought with a twinge of bitterness: Thyon Nero, deliverer from shadow.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Its portfolio of vehicles includes the Lucid Air, a luxury sedan that has won accolades but faced slowing sales, and the Lucid Gravity, an SUV released in late 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
"This is a live interpretation of a bold, brilliant narrative album that would win huge accolades as a piece of solo musical theatre."
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
His first two books, “When Brooklyn Was Queer” and “The Women’s House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison,” were magnets for awards and accolades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
And no champion in 22 years had been so low on individual accolades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
She talked of his many accolades as a rocket scientist.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
