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

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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

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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

The real Bambino, meanwhile, didn’t require chauffeuring; he eventually returned home of his own accord, unaware of the lengths to which humans had gone to retrieve him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Education authorities in Vienna said that "on the basis of the discussions held so far, the impression has emerged that the girls wish to wear the headscarf of their own accord".

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

Zuckerberg said the accord gives the "American people and customers the confidence that the technology works" as intended, calling the meeting a "historic conversation".

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

After so many attempts at making the petal that was eventually used for the water pot, his hands seemed to work of their own accord, flattening here, pinching there .

From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

He has made climate accords with foreign nations, jetted to Beijing to meet Xi Jinping, and committed California to a net-zero “partnership” with China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

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

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026

The violence largely ended with the signing of peace accords in 1998.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 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

Such a hypothesis accords as well with the animism found in ethnographic societies the world over.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

You’ll notice that the coyote isn’t even accorded a jury of his peers, merely two animated jurors out of 12, and one is a silly goose.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

"The Iranian side had requested permission on 28 February for three ships in the region to dock at our ports. This was accorded on 1 March," Jaishankar told parliament on Monday.

From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026

Selecting a Thanksgiving day was a royal prerogative, he declared, accorded solely to him as the representative of the Catholic King James II. Andros named Dec. 1 as Thanksgiving Day for all New England.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025

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

“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

A pilot asked for medical help, describing "a bloody nose" and "some bite marks", according to audio recorded on air traffic control obtained by CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

And the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton was impacted by the Henderson Fire, which prompted freeway closures and had burned at least 2,070 acres by Friday, according to Cal Fire.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

The U.S. accounted for almost half of newly created millionaires in 2025, according to a June UBS report.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

Avian flu, cost-cutting and Brexit are among the reasons behind the transfer of captive birds from one of Northern Ireland's best-known wildlife sites, according to the charity that runs it.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

“They are the facts according to Comfort,” said Mr. Johnson.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

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Related Words

• affirm
• agree
• conform
• correspond

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