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award

n. · v.
US //əˈwɔɹd// UK //ɐwˈɔːd// award
  1. 1 a prize or honor (n.)
    A2 Elementary

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

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

    Example

    The actor won an award for his performance in the new movie.

    Example

    The scientist received a prestigious award for her groundbreaking research into renewable energy sources.
    Pitfall
    She won an award for her hard work.
    She received an award for her hard work.

    While 'won' is common for competitions, 'received' or 'was given' is often used for honors based on general merit or service.

  2. 2 legal or financial decision (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal Law

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

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

    Example

    The judge announced a large financial award for the injured family.

    Example

    Following months of arbitration, the court issued a final award that satisfied both parties involved in the contract dispute.
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  1. 3 research funding (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic Education

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

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

    Example

    The university received a million-dollar award to study climate change.

    Example

    The research team applied for a federal award to cover the costs of their longitudinal study on childhood development.
  2. 4 to give a prize (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

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

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

    Example

    The committee will award the gold medal to the fastest runner.

    Example

    The examiners award marks based on the clarity of the argument and the accuracy of the data provided.
  3. 5 to decide legally (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Law

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

    to assign or give something by judicial or official decree.

    Example

    The city decided to award the building contract to a local company.

    Example

    The tribunal chose to award damages to the plaintiff after finding the corporation negligent in its safety protocols.
Origin

From Middle English awarden, from Anglo-Norman awarder, from Medieval Latin *exwardare, from Latin ex (“out”) + Medieval Latin wardare, guardare (“to observe, regard, guard”); see ward, guard, regard.

Word family

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