ovation
Americannoun
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an enthusiastic public reception of a person, marked especially by loud and prolonged applause.
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Roman History. the ceremonial entrance into Rome of a commander whose victories were of a lesser degree of importance than that for which a triumph was accorded.
noun
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an enthusiastic reception, esp one of prolonged applause
a standing ovation
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a victory procession less glorious than a triumph awarded to a Roman general
Other Word Forms
- ovational adjective
Etymology
Origin of ovation
1525–35; < Latin ovātiōn- (stem of ovātiō ) a rejoicing, shouting, equivalent to ovāt ( us ) (past participle of ovāre to rejoice) + -iōn- -ion
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.
He managed to mutter a few words with the help of his host, and was thrilled to receive a standing ovation from the crown for his efforts.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
The crowd in Los Angeles loved it: His win was greeted with a standing ovation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026
When Oscars host Conan O’Brien mentioned the name of the film in his opening monologue, it generated a huge ovation from the room.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026
He received a standing ovation when he was substituted after 64 minutes, unlike the Egyptian, who simply could not do anything right when he came on.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026
The nuns had been flattered, the audience had stood up and given "our devoted teachers a standing ovation," what Laura had suggested they do at the end of the speech.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
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.
