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
Van Etten exclaimed after the audience’s rapturous applause.
—Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2025
When 89 votes were reached, the room burst into applause.
—Elizabeth Dias, New York Times, 10 May 2025
Rapturous applause, yelling and plenty of tears in St. Peter’s Square at the sign of white smoke.
—Katie Primm, NBC news, 9 May 2025
Great as this episode is, no thunderous applause is heard, or necessary.
—Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for applause
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.
Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2025
When 89 votes were reached, the room burst into applause.
—Elizabeth Dias, New York Times, 10 May 2025
Rapturous applause, yelling and plenty of tears in St. Peter’s Square at the sign of white smoke.
—Katie Primm, NBC news, 9 May 2025
Great as this episode is, no thunderous applause is heard, or necessary.
—Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for applause
Cite this Entry
“Applause.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/applause. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
applause
noun
ap·plause
ə-ˈplȯz 
: approval shown especially by clapping the hands
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share