1
: marked commendation : acclaim
… the kind of applause every really creative writer wants.—
Robert Tallant
Robert Tallant2
: approval publicly expressed (as by clapping the hands)
a round of applause
Examples of applause in a Sentence
The announcement was greeted with applause and cheers.
a design for a memorial for the victims of the attack that has received nothing but applause from officials, commentators, and the general public
Recent Examples on the Web
The 41-year-old James put on a show, throwing down lobs for dunks, drawing cheers and applause from the fans inside Capital One Arena.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Enthusiastic applause welcomed Young to the stage, who arrived dressed in David Byrne-style pants and an oversized Vaquera belt.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
Carney said to rising audience applause.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
In the first game, Porter produced a superb reaction save with his forearm to push a Lorenz Hutchinson effort from close range away, prompting applause from his team-mates and impressed opponents.
—Rob Tanner, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for applause
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Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Enthusiastic applause welcomed Young to the stage, who arrived dressed in David Byrne-style pants and an oversized Vaquera belt.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
Carney said to rising audience applause.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
In the first game, Porter produced a superb reaction save with his forearm to push a Lorenz Hutchinson effort from close range away, prompting applause from his team-mates and impressed opponents.
—Rob Tanner, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for applause
Cite this Entry
“Applause.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/applause. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
applause
noun
ap·plause
ə-ˈplȯz 
: approval shown especially by clapping the hands
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