1
: marked commendation : acclaim
the kind of applause every really creative writer wants—
Robert Tallant
Robert Tallant2
: approval publicly expressed (as by clapping the hands)
a round of applause
Synonyms
Examples of applause in a Sentence
The announcement was greeted with applause and cheers.
a design for a memorial for the victims of the attack that has received nothing but applause from officials, commentators, and the general public
Recent Examples on the Web
On cue, Glinda and Elphaba themselves — Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo — emerged from the wings to thunderous applause.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
During the appearance, both men also finally picked up their diplomas, with Travis chugging a beer before grabbing his paperwork to the crowd’s wild applause.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 12 Apr. 2024
Disney’s session collectively drew the most applause and laughter of the week.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
Reeves’ appearance drew loud applause from the theater owners he’s made a lot of money for over the decades.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
Amidst applause from the cast and crew, David rose from his fake airplane seat without a word and started walking away when the late Richard Lewis jumped up to praise him.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024
The sight enthralled the roughly 3,000 observers gathered near the water fountain in Balboa Park, triggering spontaneous applause and dreamy oohs and ahs.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024
Speakers were greeted with applause, including Fisher, who is reviled by an Athletics fan base that has largely boycotted the team since Fisher reached an agreement last year to move to Las Vegas.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
His performance in November with the National Symphony Orchestra and pianist Yuja Wang made a strong first impression and met with wild applause.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
During the appearance, both men also finally picked up their diplomas, with Travis chugging a beer before grabbing his paperwork to the crowd’s wild applause.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 12 Apr. 2024
Disney’s session collectively drew the most applause and laughter of the week.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
Reeves’ appearance drew loud applause from the theater owners he’s made a lot of money for over the decades.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
Amidst applause from the cast and crew, David rose from his fake airplane seat without a word and started walking away when the late Richard Lewis jumped up to praise him.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024
The sight enthralled the roughly 3,000 observers gathered near the water fountain in Balboa Park, triggering spontaneous applause and dreamy oohs and ahs.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024
Speakers were greeted with applause, including Fisher, who is reviled by an Athletics fan base that has largely boycotted the team since Fisher reached an agreement last year to move to Las Vegas.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
His performance in November with the National Symphony Orchestra and pianist Yuja Wang made a strong first impression and met with wild applause.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'applause.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Applause.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/applause. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
applause
noun
ap·plause
ə-ˈplȯz 
: approval shown especially by clapping the hands
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