commendation
Americannoun
-
commendations
plural
-
the act of commending; recommendation; praise.
commendation for a job well done.
- Synonyms:
- applause, approbation, approval
- Antonyms:
- condemnation
-
something that commends, as a formal recommendation or an official citation or award.
a commendation for bravery.
- Antonyms:
- condemnation
-
Feudal Law. the placing of oneself or one's land under the protection of a lord so as to become his vassal.
-
Archaic. commendations, a complimentary greeting or message.
noun
-
the act or an instance of commending; praise
-
an award
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of commendation
1175–1225; Middle English commendacioun (< Anglo-French ) < Latin commendātiōn- (stem of commendātiō ) a commending to God. See commend, -ation
Explanation
If you got a commendation for your brave deeds during the earthquake, then congratulations! A commendation is an award praising someone’s actions. A commendation can be an official award for notable action, often given out by a government or other group. A police officer might receive a special commendation for being particularly brave. This kind of commendation is often awarded at a public ceremony. You can also use commendation more broadly to mean "praise," even if it's not official. It'd be nice to tell your teacher she deserves commendation for the good-natured way she has handled your rowdy class all year.
Vocabulary lists containing commendation
Richard Nixon's "Checkers" Speech (1952)
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50 Words from Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice"
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Twelfth Night
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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.
See Examples For:
In 2021, Trump awarded Fauci a presidential commendation for his work on the US Covid vaccine project, known as Operation Warp Speed.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
The jurists are hardly due a commendation, since their previous ruling on the question was reversed 9-0 by the Supreme Court this summer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025
The service will end with the final commendation and valediction, marking the beginning of nine days of mourning for the Pope, the Catholic news agency reported.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2025
Bob’s Big Boy is now California Pita, whose grand opening in 2007 occasioned a commendation from then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2024
“I am not a fool,” I said, speaking in a low voice, pleased by the commendation in his eyes, a little hurt by it as well.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
Trump, on the last full day of his first term, awarded Fauci and other members of the Operation Warp Speed team presidential commendations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
She said Mr Berrill, who has received two police commendations, was in the group for about two-and-a-half months and had sent 90 messages out of thousands.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2025
His commendations included the Navy Cross, the Silver Star and, for wounds received while leading a rifle platoon, two Purple Hearts.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2024
The lawyer, Tim Grace, said that Kriv had received nearly 150 commendations and recognitions and had earned two awards for saving lives.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2023
Engravings on wood, the earliest impressions of them not always the best, 85, 90. commendations of them in books printed in France, Germany, and Italy, 97.
From The Dance of Death Exhibited in Elegant Engravings on Wood with a Dissertation on the Several Representations of that Subject but More Particularly on Those Ascribed to Macaber and Hans Holbein by Francis Douce
Definitions 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.
