noun
Other Word Forms
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
Explanation
After a theatrical performance, audience members typically use applause, or hand-clapping, to express their approval. (Of course, sometimes applause just means the audience is glad it’s time to go home.) Back in ancient Rome, actors requested applause from the audience by declaring “Plaudite!” This fact sheds light on the origin of applause — and it definitively proves that performers have been seeking approval from audiences for millennia. Oddly enough, however, it’s considered inappropriate to applaud between the movements of a piece of classical music, regardless of how much you enjoyed the performance. Some concertgoers choose to defy this rule, in spite of the nasty looks they get from neighbors.
Vocabulary lists containing applause
Academy Awards, List 2
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Spelling Practice, Unit 3
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"One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia, List 8
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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.
Then Modou Lo, a Senegalese wrestling legend and local resident, appeared to shouts and applause.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Officers on Saturday made arrests into the evening, taking people to police vans for transfer, to the applause of many protesters, some of whom chanted: "Free, free Palestine."
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Most cuttingly, the reality TV veteran accused Maher of leaning heavily on canned applause and a laugh track to sell the idea that he’s funny.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
One lecture on Jane Austen’s “Emma” even earned an applause.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
And I close my eyes, still listening to that applause.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
