award
award
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "award" is /əˈwɔːrd/.
First Syllable (/ə/):
/ə/ - a schwa sound, like the 'a' in 'about'.
Second Syllable (/ˈwɔːrd/):
/w/ - a voiced labial-velar approximant, like the 'w' in 'win'.
/ɔː/ - a long open-mid back rounded vowel, like the 'aw' in 'dawn'.
/r/ - a voiced alveolar approximant, like the 'r' in 'red'.
/d/ - a voiced alveolar plosive, like the 'd' in 'dog'.
Word Form Variations
Noun:
Singular: award
Plural: awards
Verb:
Base form: award
Third-person singular present: awards
Past tense: awarded
Past participle: awarded
Present participle: awarding
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A prize or other mark of recognition given in honor of an achievement, service, or outstanding quality.
Synonyms: prize, trophy, medal, commendation, honor, distinction, accolade
Antonyms: penalty, punishment, forfeiture, demerit
Definition 2: A formal decision or judgment, especially one made by an arbitrator or referee.
Synonyms: judgment, ruling, verdict, decision, decree, settlement
Antonyms: indecision, uncertainty, dispute, contention
Verb
Definition 1: To grant or confer something officially as a prize, recognition, or payment.
Synonyms: grant, bestow, confer, present, give, allocate, assign
Antonyms: withhold, deny, refuse, revoke, withdraw
Definition 2: To make a formal decision or judgment in a legal or official capacity, often concerning compensation or damages.
Synonyms: adjudge, determine, rule, decree, arbitrate, mete out
Antonyms: ignore, dismiss, disregard, overlook
Examples of Use
Books:
"She reread the acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Award, feeling a surge of inspiration from Malala Yousafzai's words." (Example based on a general understanding of Nobel laureates' speeches)
"The protagonist's life took an unexpected turn after winning a prestigious literary award for his debut novel."
Newspapers:
"Local Hero to Receive Bravery Award" (The Daily Chronicle)
"The city council voted to award the contract for the new public library to Sterling Construction." (The Boston Globe)
Online Publications:
"Tech Innovator Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award at Annual Summit" (TechCrunch.com)
"How to Prepare Your Film for Festival Submissions and Potential Awards Season" (IndieWire.com)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "And the Oscar for Best Picture goes to... Oppenheimer!" (Broadcast of the 96th Academy Awards, March 2024)
Music: "Billie Eilish's 'What Was I Made For?' won Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards." (Broadcast of the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, February 2024)
Television: "The final episode of the series concluded with the main character receiving a top culinary award for her innovative dishes." (Fictional example based on a cooking show premise)
Video Games: "Players can unlock special in-game awards for completing challenging missions." (General feature in many video games, like achievements or trophies)
Podcasts: "In this week's episode, we discuss the recent Tony Awards and our predictions for next year's nominees." (Entertainment review podcast, May 2024)
General Public Discourse:
"Did you see who won the 'Best Dressed' award at the school dance last night?" (Conversation among high school students)
"My company gives an award for employee of the month, and I'm hoping to get it soon." (Workplace conversation)
"The court decided to award him a significant sum in damages after the accident." (Discussion about a legal case)
10 Quotes Using Award
"Man gives you the award but God gives you the reward." (Denzel Washington)
"I don't deserve this award, but I have arthritis and I don't deserve that either." (Jack Benny)
"Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust." (Jesse Owens)
"To refuse awards is another way of accepting them with more noise than is normal." (Mark Twain)
"The greatest award is the appreciation of the people." (Gopi Sundar)
"It doesn't matter how many times you win an award, it is always very special." (Zinedine Zidane)
"I love capitalism. It rewards me for being brave - it awards me for being innovative and thinking out of the box." (Henry Rollins)
"My biggest achievement more than any award is contributing in a winning cause for my team." (Ravindra Jadeja)
"The salary of the chief executive of a large corporation is not a market award for achievement. It is frequently in the nature of a warm personal gesture by the individual to himself." (John Kenneth Galbraith)
"There's a lot of great movies that have won the Academy Award, and a lot of great movies that haven't. You just do the best you can." (Clint Eastwood)
Etymology
The word "award" comes from an Old North French word, "eswarder," which meant "to look at, inspect, or judge." This word itself was formed from "es-" (a prefix intensifying the meaning) and "warder," meaning "to guard" or "to watch."
So, the original idea behind "award" was about carefully looking at something and then making a judgment or decision about it.
The first known use of "award" in English, appearing around the late 13th or early 14th century, reflected this original sense. It was primarily used as a legal term, referring to a formal decision or judgment made by a court, arbitrator, or other authority. For example, a judge might "award" damages to someone, meaning they officially decided that person should receive compensation. The sense of giving a prize or honor came later, evolving from this idea of an authoritative decision to grant something.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Award
Award a contract: To officially grant a contract for work or services to a company or individual.
Award damages: To officially decide that a person should receive money as compensation for harm or loss.
Award-winning: Describing something that has received an award, indicating high quality or achievement.
Present an award: To formally give an award to someone.
Win an award: To be the recipient of an award.
Earn a prize: (Using a synonym for "award" for similar effect) To achieve something worthy of recognition.
Merit recognition: (Using a synonym for "award" for similar effect) To deserve to be acknowledged for one's efforts or qualities.
Bestow an honor: (Using a synonym for "award" for similar effect) To grant a mark of respect or distinction.
Give a commendation: (Using a synonym for "award" for similar effect) To officially praise someone for an achievement.
Hand out accolades: (Using a synonym for "award" for similar effect) To distribute praises or honors.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of award from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
