applause

American  

[uh-plawz] / əˈplɔz /

noun

1. hand clapping as a demonstration of approval, appreciation, acclamation, or the like.

2. any positive expression of appreciation or approval; acclamation.

   Synonyms:

   praise, plaudit, acclaim

---

applause British  

/ əˈplɔːz /

noun

1. appreciation or praise, esp as shown by clapping the hands

---

Other Word Forms

• applausive adjective
• self-applause noun
• unapplausive adjective

Etymology

Origin of applause

1590–1600; < Latin applausus struck upon, applauded (past participle of applaudere ), equivalent to ap- ap- ¹ + plaud- clap + -tus past participle suffix

Example Sentences

The crowd erupted in the loudest applause of the evening.

From The Wall Street Journal

And he was not smiling now either, despite all the applause.

From Literature

“It’s a trailer launch? It looks like a premiere,” Villeneuve said during the event, which included a Q&A with the cast and was met by thunderous applause from the audience.

From Los Angeles Times

"She walked in with a big smile, raised the statue over her head and everybody burst into applause," the restaurant's owner Dino Andrianos told The New York Post at the time.

From BBC

I pulled my own shoulders back and twirled my parasol as Ms. Lacey concluded the show to light applause from the diners.

From Literature

Related Words

• acclaim
• accolade
• kudos
• ovation
• praise
• standing ovation