Definition of ACCOLADES
- ️Wed Feb 12 2025
1
a
: 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
2
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
Did you know?
Give credit where credit is due: it's time to celebrate accolade for its centuries of laudatory service. Accolade joined English in the 16th century from the Middle French noun acolade, which in turn comes from the verb accoler, meaning "to embrace." When it was first borrowed from French, accolade referred to a ceremonial embrace that formally conferred knighthood. The term was later extended to other ceremonial acts conferring knighthood (such as the familiar touching of the shoulders with the flat part of a sword's blade), and then to other ceremonies marking the recognition of a special merit, distinction, or achievement. Today it refers more broadly to an award or expression of praise.
Synonyms
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tucson was the first stateside city to become a UNESCO World City of Gastronomy, an accolade that nods to its more than four millennia of food culture that merges the tastes of many different groups, including Native American and modern Mexican.
—
Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Feb. 2025
The seven-part stalker drama, created by and starring Richard Gadd, was a standout at this past year’s Emmys, with additional awards won in Outstanding Limited Series and Writing for a Limited Series, and also brought Gunning a Golden Globe, among other accolades.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2025
Ibrahim took over the kitchen in 2021, and since then she’s won numerous accolades, including a spot on our own list of the rising power players in American fine dining.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 5 Feb. 2025
The Birmingham band's many accolades include an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 and three Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
—EW.com, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for accolade 
Word History
Etymology
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
First Known Use
1591, in the meaning defined at sense 2a
Time Traveler
The first known use of accolade was in 1591
Dictionary Entries Near accolade
Cite this Entry
“Accolade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accolade. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on accolade
Last Updated: 12 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!