1
: an act or round of applause
2
: enthusiastic approval
—usually used in plural
received the plaudits of the critics
Did you know?
You earn plaudits for your etymological knowledge if you can connect plaudit to words besides the familiar applaud and applause. A word coined by shortening Latin plaudite, meaning "applaud," plaudit had gained approval status in English by the first years of the 17th century. Latin plaudite is a form of the verb plaudere, meaning "to applaud"; plaudere, in turn, is ancestor to explode, plausible, and the archaic displode (a synonym of explode).
Examples of plaudit in a Sentence
the proud parents bragged that their daughter had received many plaudits for her academic achievements
Recent Examples on the Web
Over that time, Bovino has drawn criticism from those who view the administration's immigration tactics as overly harsh and its response to protests heavy-handed — and plaudits from many supporters of the president who view him as a no-nonsense enforcer of his deportation campaign.
—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
Other big nomination-getters included Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel that especially drew plaudits for its emotionally demanding performances.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
In addition to earning him plaudits, Johnson’s on-court improvement has changed the trajectory of the Hawks.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
The Swiss dominated the big tournaments of the mid-2000s, which would earn anybody plaudits, but his unique blend of style and grace caused a significant portion of the tennis world to anoint him as the sport’s Jesus, masking his dynamism, physicality, and weaknesses in the process.
—Owen Lewis, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for plaudit
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.
Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
Other big nomination-getters included Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel that especially drew plaudits for its emotionally demanding performances.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
In addition to earning him plaudits, Johnson’s on-court improvement has changed the trajectory of the Hawks.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
The Swiss dominated the big tournaments of the mid-2000s, which would earn anybody plaudits, but his unique blend of style and grace caused a significant portion of the tennis world to anoint him as the sport’s Jesus, masking his dynamism, physicality, and weaknesses in the process.
—Owen Lewis, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for plaudit
Cite this Entry
“Plaudit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaudit. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
