acclaim

1 of 2

verb

ac·​claim ə-ˈklām How to pronounce acclaim (audio)
acclaimed; acclaiming; acclaims

transitive verb

1
: applaud, praise
Critics acclaimed her performance.
2
: to declare by acclamation
was acclaimed president of the society

intransitive verb

: to shout praise or applause
acclaimer noun

acclaim

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act of acclaiming
2
: praise, applause
She deserves acclaim for all her charitable works.

Examples of acclaim in a Sentence

Verb The critics have acclaimed her performance. she has long been acclaimed by the critics for her realistic acting Noun Her performance in the ballet earned her critical acclaim. She deserves acclaim for all her charitable works.
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.
Verb
Season 1 of The Studio was critically acclaimed and nabbed 23 nominations at the 77th Emmy Awards. Katherine Schaffstall, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025 Italian actress Sabrina Impacciatore broke out in the states for her role as hotel manager Valentina in season 2 of HBO’s acclaimed The White Lotus. EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
In 1965 Viking published, to little notice or acclaim or sales, the novel Stoner by John Williams, a downbeat story of a quiet English professor in Missouri who encounters a succession of disappointments in his life and career. Paul Slovak september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025 Her 1972 novel Smithereens, about the art world and women’s wrestling, was rereleased earlier this year to critical acclaim. News Desk, Artforum, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for acclaim

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed (with assimilation to claim entry 1) from Middle French & Latin; Middle French acclamer, borrowed from Latin acclāmāre "to shout (at or in reaction to), raise an outcry, shout approval," from ad- ad- + clāmāre "to shout" — more at claim entry 1

Noun

derivative of acclaim entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1626, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of acclaim was in 1626

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Acclaim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acclaim. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

acclaim

1 of 2 verb
ac·​claim ə-ˈklām How to pronounce acclaim (audio)
1
: to welcome with applause or great praise
a novel acclaimed by the critics
2
: to proclaim by or as if by acclamation
acclaimer noun

acclaim

2 of 2 noun
1
: the act of acclaiming
2
Etymology

Verb

from Latin acclamare, literally "to shout at," from ac-, ad- "to, toward" and clamare "to shout" — related to claim, clamor

More from Merriam-Webster on acclaim

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