award

1 of 3

verb

ə-ˈwȯrd 

awarded; awarding; awards

transitive verb

1

: to confer or bestow as being deserved or merited or needed

award scholarships to disadvantaged students

2

: to give by judicial decree or after careful consideration

The jury awarded damages to the defendant.

award a contract

awardable

ə-ˈwȯr-də-bəl 

adjective

awardee

ə-ˌwȯr-ˈdē 

noun

awarder

ə-ˈwȯr-dər 

noun

award

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

: something that is conferred or bestowed especially on the basis of merit or need

a film that has won several awards

2

a

: a judgment or final decision

especially : the decision of arbitrators in a case submitted to them

b

: the document containing the decision of arbitrators

awarder

3 of 3

noun (2)

award·​er ə-ˈwȯr-dər 

plural -s

: one that awards

Synonyms of award

Verb

• reward
• honor

Noun (1)

• prize
• accolade
• honor

Choose the Right Synonym for award

grant, concede, vouchsafe, accord, award mean to give as a favor or a right.

grant implies giving to a claimant or petitioner something that could be withheld.

granted them a new hearing

concede implies yielding something reluctantly in response to a rightful or compelling claim.

even her critics concede she can be charming

vouchsafe implies granting something as a courtesy or an act of gracious condescension.

vouchsafed the secret to only a few chosen disciples

accord implies giving to another what is due or proper.

accorded all the honors befitting a head of state

award implies giving what is deserved or merited usually after a careful weighing of pertinent factors.

awarded the company a huge defense contract

Examples of award in a Sentence

Verb

The judges will award a prize to the best speaker.

The winner was awarded a gold medal.

A prize will be awarded to the student who sells the most tickets.

The jury awarded damages to the defendant.

The company is awarding the contract to the lowest bidder.

He was awarded a patent for his invention.

Noun (1)

Will the film win any awards at the festival?

She has won numerous awards for her books.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In addition, the jury found the two deputies acted with reckless disregard and awarded $10 million in punitive damages. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026

The foundation expects to award about $700 million in grants in 2027, a figure that could rise, a Ford Foundation spokesperson told the Associated Press. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026

Noun

For those unfamiliar with Fielder’s career or filmmaking approach, his assent to award season hopeful — even frontrunner — has felt like welcoming a strange alien to a planet inhabited by the slick Hollywood establishment. — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026

In September 2026, the US Space Force granted Antares a $161 million Strategic Breakthrough award to build space-qualified reactors. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (1)

Middle English, to decide, from Anglo-French awarder, agarder to look at, examine, resolve, from a- (from Latin ad-) + warder, garder to look after, guard — more at guard

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Rhymes for award

• abhorred
• aboard
• accord
• adored
• afford
• baseboard
• billboard
• blackboard
• boxboard
• breadboard
• broadsword
• buckboard

Kids Definition

award

1 of 2 verb

ə-ˈwȯ(ə)rd 

1

: to give by court decision (as after a lawsuit)

award damages

2

: to give or grant as a reward

award a prize to the best speaker

award

2 of 2 noun

: something (as a prize) that is awarded

Legal Definition

award

1 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to give in accordance with a judicial or administrative determination or decision

award punitive damages

2

: to grant as deserved

awarded the contract to the lowest bidder

award

2 of 2 noun

1

: a judgment or final decision: as

a

: arbitrator's award

b

: a formal decision regarding benefits in a workers' compensation claim

2

: something granted especially on the basis of merit or entitlement: as

a

: a contract won by a successful bidder

b

: relief usually in the form of money (as damages or alimony) granted to a party in a legal proceeding

Etymology

Transitive verb

Anglo-French awarder, agarder to look at, decide on, impose, alteration of Old French esguarder to look at, from es-, intensive prefix + guarder to guard