accolade

American  

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

noun

• accolades
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• accoladed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• accolades
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

accolade accolades

His long-time rival Lionel Messi, who has won the Ballon d'Or accolade a record eight times, recently also said he was unsure how much longer he would continue playing football.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

It's an accolade and source of huge pride for those presently and formerly associated to the club.

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026

Months later he became a Super Bowl winner - the highest accolade an NFL player can achieve.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 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

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

Winn had repeatedly claimed The Salt Path was the first book she had written, and which she won a number of accolades for, including a £10,000 prize for a debut novelist or non-fiction writer.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

We honor them by telling their full stories, not only about their accolades and medals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

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

The accolades come just five days after Swift married beau Travis Kelce in an extravagant — yet secretive — Manhattan affair at Madison Square Garden.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

Boris, according to Blake, was the "feather in his cap," earning him accolades inside the British spy agency and deflecting any remote suspicion that Blake might be working for the enemy.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Related Words

• distinction
• kudos