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accolade

noun
ac·​co·​lade | \ ˈa-kə-ˌlād How to pronounce accolade (audio) , -ˌläd\

Definition of accolade

1a : a mark of acknowledgment : award received the highest accolade of his profession
b : an expression of praise a movie that has drawn accolades from both fans and critics
2a : a ceremonial embrace
b : a ceremony or salute conferring knighthood
3 music : a brace or a line used in music to join two or more staffs carrying simultaneous parts
Synonyms What is the origin of accolade? More Example Sentences Learn More about accolade

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What is the origin of accolade?

Accolade was borrowed into English in the 16th century from French. The French noun in turn derives from the verb accoler, which means "to embrace," and ultimately from the Latin term collum, meaning "neck." (Collum is also an ancestor of the English word collar.) When it was first borrowed from French, accolade referred to a ceremonial embrace that once marked the conferring of knighthood. The term was later extended to any ceremony conferring knighthood (such as the more familiar tapping on the shoulders with the flat part of a sword's blade), and eventually extended to honors or awards in general.

Examples of accolade in a Sentence

There is no higher accolade at this school than an honorary degree. for their exceptional bravery the firefighters received accolades from both local and national officials

Recent Examples on the Web

 Junior setter Seth Klaasen and junior outside hitters Dakota Whitmire and Koby Gilman earned first-team accolades for the Warriors. — Daily Pilot Staff, Daily Pilot, "Brethren Christian’s Logan Egan is Express League MVP in boys’ volleyball," 22 Aug. 2019 Wright became one of the globe’s most famous architects, designing more than 1,000 structures around the globe and earning accolades that include the recent designation of eight of his buildings as UNESCO World Heritage sites. — Brian E. Clark, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Chicago's Hotel Zachary honors the forgotten architect who designed Wrigley Field," 9 Aug. 2019 The spot earned Jaden interviews on CNN, MSNBC, Univision, Fox News and NowThis, plus the accolades of his adult peers. — Eli Rosenberg, Washington Post, "Meet the latest star of the 2020 press corps, Jaden Jefferson. He’s 11.," 3 Aug. 2019 The most successful non-city-center CKR, Annette, inside Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace, has been earning so many accolades that area food writers probably have chef/owner Caroline Glover on speed dial, if speed dial is still a thing. — Allyson Reedy, The Know, "Restaurant review: Bettola gives Aurora a date night-perfect Italian bistro," 1 Aug. 2019 Duncan Smith, a senior tight end, caught 38 passes for 751 yards and 12 touchdowns to earn all-league first-team accolades. — Jeff Tully, Burbank Leader, "Looking Back: Girls’ cross-country team, track and field standout shine for Burbank in 2018-19," 23 July 2019 LoVett averaged an impressive 20.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and four steals a game last season en route to earning all-league and All-CIF accolades. — Charles Rich, latimes.com, "Providence girls' basketball outlasts Crescenta Valley," 9 July 2019 Second Baptist did earn a few postseason accolades, highlighted by TAPPS first-team all-state honors for senior Anthony MacKenzie. — Jack Marrion, Houston Chronicle, "Wolf leads four all-state baseball selections for St. Thomas," 10 June 2019 Such accolades and interpretations are a testament to the importance of I’m Your Man in the context of the Leonard Cohen canon. — Ron Hart, Billboard, "Leonard Cohen's 'I'm Your Man' Album Turns 30: Artists Reflect on the 'Dark,' 'Cheesy' Masterpiece," 2 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'accolade.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of accolade

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

History and Etymology for accolade

borrowed from Middle French acolade, accolade "embrace," from acoler "to embrace" (going back to Old French, from a-, prefix forming transitive verbs—going back to Latin ad- ad-— + col "neck," going back to Latin collum) + -ade -ade — more at collar entry 1

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More Definitions for accolade

accolade

noun
How to pronounce accolade (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of accolade

: an award or an expression of praise

See the full definition for accolade in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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More from Merriam-Webster on accolade

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with accolade

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for accolade

Spanish Central: Translation of accolade

Nglish: Translation of accolade for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of accolade for Arabic Speakers

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