accord

American  

[uh-kawrd] / əˈkɔrd /

verb (used without object)

• accords,
  present (3rd person singular)
• accorded,
  past participle,  past
• according
  present participle

1. to be in agreement or harmony; agree.

   Synonyms:

   concur, harmonize

   Antonyms:

   conflict

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verb (used with object)

• accords,
  present (3rd person singular)
• accorded,
  past participle,  past
• according
  present participle

1. to make agree or correspond; adapt.

   Synonyms:

   reconcile

2. to grant; bestow.

   to accord due praise.

   Antonyms:

   withdraw, deny, withhold

3. Archaic. to settle; reconcile.

noun

• accords
  plural

1. proper relationship or proportion; harmony.

2. a harmonious union of sounds, colors, etc.

3. consent or concurrence of opinions or wills; agreement.

4. an international agreement; settlement of questions outstanding among nations.

idioms

1. of one's own accord, without being asked or told; voluntarily.

   We did the extra work of our own accord.

accord British  

/ əˈkɔːd /

noun

1. agreement; conformity; accordance (esp in the phrase in accord with )

2. consent or concurrence of opinion

3. unanimously

4. pleasing relationship between sounds, colours, etc; harmony

5. a settlement of differences, as between nations; compromise

6. voluntarily

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verb

1. to be or cause to be in harmony or agreement

2. (tr) to grant; bestow

accord More Idioms  

1. see of one's own accord.

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Usage

What does accord mean? To accord is to agree or be in harmony with someone or something. Accord is usually used formally to mean to work together. It is often used in official decrees, analysis of public figures, and governmental affairs. Related to this, an accord is an agreement. In particular when nations agree to something, we often say they have reached an accord, as with the Paris Climate Accords. To accord can also mean to grant or bestow. Oftentimes an item that is accorded is something that will strengthen a relationship or agreement, as with according someone praise or forgiveness. Example: Failure to reach an accord will mean the battle will continue for years to come.

Synonym Usage

See correspond.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• accorder
  noun
• nonaccord
  noun
• preaccord
  noun
• accordable
  adjective
• unaccordable
  adjective
• unaccorded
  adjective
• well-accorded
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• accords
  plural

Participles

• according
  present
• accorded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• accord
  simple
• accords
  simple
• have accorded
  perfect
• has accorded
  perfect
• am according
  progressive
• are according
  progressive
• is according
  progressive
• have been according
  perfect progressive
• has been according
  perfect progressive

Past

• accorded
  simple
• had accorded
  perfect
• was according
  progressive
• were according
  progressive
• had been according
  perfect progressive

Future

• will accord
  simple
• will have accorded
  perfect
• will be according
  progressive
• will have been according
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of accord

First recorded in 1100–50; Middle English a(c)corden, late Old English acordan, from Old French acorder, from Vulgar Latin accordāre (unrecorded), from Latin ac- ac- + cor (stem cord- ) “heart” ( see cordial); see also heart

Explanation

An accord is an agreement between groups or even nations, like a formal peace accord that prevents war or the accord between you and your sister specifying who gets to use the car on which days. Accord is an agreeable word. If you and your best friend are always in accord, you agree about everything. And if you do something of your own accord, you do it without prompting from someone else. As a verb, accord means to be in harmony or agreement, or to allow. Perhaps your enhanced vocabulary will accord you, or allow you, a better understanding of language.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

accord accords accorded according

Early last week, President Trump and tech executives from Anthropic, Google, Meta, OpenAI, Nvidia and others signed a voluntary accord to “self-police” AI development.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

With voter anxiety growing, the heads of major AI companies signed a White House accord on September 29 pledging independent audits and board-level oversight of cutting-edge models.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

But not all experts are impressed with the accord.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

I was alternately excited and apprehensive to take part, and my editor would like me to note that I pitched this story on my own accord.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

If it please mine uncle, King Arthur, to accord with him, then the King will lose my service and that of all the Gael.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

The prospect of geopolitical accords were a relief for stock indexes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

These accords involve Arab or Muslim countries normalizing relations with Israel.

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026

This accords with the Telegram post by EL which stated he had access to Nato and CIA documents because his father had been in Europe.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

The result was an unprecedented direct dialogue that eventually paved the way for Israeli accords with Jordan and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026

He has, as a consequence of his crime, not only forfeited his liberty, but all his personal rights except those which the law in its humanity accords to him.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

This column has long maintained that a major operation to wrest control of the Persian Gulf would be recommitting to a strategic past that accorded excessive primacy to the Gulf and its oil.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

That AFP was accorded rare access to film and photograph a competition for women and girls was itself a sign of greater official openness.

From Barron's ● Nov. 17, 2025

Mr Cheetham said the policy also "accorded with relevant legislation and guidance at the time".

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2025

Fans — many? most? all? — saw these arrests as special bad treatment accorded to a famous person, but, says Reubens, “30 years later, I still feel the effects all the time.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2025

“It repeats me to the heart,” be said, “that you should dunk so, my lord Sir Gawaine, for I know that while you are against me I shall never more be accorded with the King.”

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Lokesh has also insisted that "residential requirements will always be prioritised over data centres", according to a statement.

From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026

In its first six weeks of streaming, the series earned 2.6 billion minutes watched, according to Nielsen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

That might make you more vulnerable to foot fractures, according to a 2023 analysis of high-stack running shoes with carbon-fiber plates published in Sports Medicine, with Tenforde as the lead author.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

But both elections will now be held on September 11, 2027, Abbas said in a decree, blaming Israeli "obstacles", according to the Palestinian official news agency Wafa.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026

It was the ‘Bullet N°2’ racing car, the first with an eight-cylinder, in-line engine, according to Eugene Hammond.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• affirm
• agree
• conform
• correspond