ovation

noun

ova·​tion ō-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce ovation (audio)
1
: a ceremony attending the entering of Rome by a general who had won a victory of less importance than that for which a triumph was granted
2
: an expression or demonstration of popular acclaim especially by enthusiastic applause
received a standing ovation

Examples of ovation in a Sentence

He was welcomed by a warm ovation when he came out onto the stage. received a standing ovation for the masterly performance
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.
The anticipated $120 million epic got a lengthy standing ovation and is being talked about as a major awards contender for Netflix. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025 The pregame ovation for Jonathan Toews lasted so long that Haydn Fleury had to wait in the tunnel, biding his time before joining the Jets at centre ice. Murat Ates, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 The movie received a six-minute standing ovation at its Cannes Film Festival world premiere. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025 The standing ovations at Chanel for Matthieu Blazy, Dior for Jonathan Anderson, Pierpaolo Piccioli for Balenciaga and Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernando at Loewe brought so much love and connection. Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ovation

Word History

Etymology

Latin ovation-, ovatio, from ovare to exult; akin to Greek euoi, interjection used in bacchic revels

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ovation was in 1533

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ovation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ovation. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

ovation

noun
ova·​tion ō-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce ovation (audio)
: a public expression of praise : enthusiastic applause

More from Merriam-Webster on ovation

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