accolade

noun

ac·​co·​lade ˈa-kə-ˌlād 

-ˌläd

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

a

: 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

Did you know?

What is the origin of accolade?

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 of accolade

• tribute
• commendation
• award
• citation

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

Loyalties typically drive a supporter’s wish to see their favourites win the biggest accolades but that, in turn, bleeds into why individual honours now mean so much to players and their clubs. — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

OutKick Dropkick asked Jordan in a recent interview what the accolades meant to her. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

The documentary premiered at the 2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival and has since picked up accolades on the festival circuit. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 4 Sep. 2026

His accolades also include a Grammy nomination for Kx5, his collaboration with producer deadmau5. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

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

Rhymes for accolade

• ambuscade
• antegrade
• balustrade
• barricade
• cannonade
• cavalcade
• centigrade
• chambermaid
• colonnade
• countertrade
• disobeyed
• escapade

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

accolade

noun

ac·​co·​lade ˈak-ə-ˌlād 

1

: a formal salute (as a tap on the shoulder with the blade of a sword) that marks the conferring of knighthood

2

: a mark of recognition of merit : praise