# award

/əˈwɔɹd/ (US) · /ɐwˈɔːd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/award
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a prize or honor

noun · CEFR A2

a prize, medal, or certificate you receive for doing something great.

For teachers: a prize or honor conferred on the basis of merit or achievement in a specific field or competition.

- The actor won an award for his performance in the new movie.
- The scientist received a prestigious award for her groundbreaking research into renewable energy sources.

### 2. legal or financial decision

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

an official or legal decision about who should get money or a specific right.

For teachers: a formal judgment or decision, especially one made by an arbitrator or a court regarding a financial settlement.

- The judge announced a large financial award for the injured family.
- Following months of arbitration, the court issued a final award that satisfied both parties involved in the contract dispute.

### 3. research funding

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

an amount of money given to a person or group to pay for a special project.

For teachers: a grant or sum of money bestowed for a specific purpose, such as academic research or a community project.

- The university received a million-dollar award to study climate change.
- The research team applied for a federal award to cover the costs of their longitudinal study on childhood development.

### 4. to give a prize

verb · CEFR B1

to officially give someone a prize or a mark for their work.

For teachers: to confer a prize, mark, or honor upon someone through a formal process.

- The committee will award the gold medal to the fastest runner.
- The examiners award marks based on the clarity of the argument and the accuracy of the data provided.

### 5. to decide legally

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to decide officially that someone should receive money or a contract.

For teachers: to assign or give something by judicial or official decree.

- The city decided to award the building contract to a local company.
- The tribunal chose to award damages to the plaintiff after finding the corporation negligent in its safety protocols.

## Examples

- She won an award for the best short story.
- The committee presented the lifetime achievement award to the scientist during the gala dinner.
- The jury's substantial award of damages reflected the severity of the contract breach and the financial losses the plaintiff suffered.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.