award

award — verb

1. to formally hand a prize, sum of money, or contract to a person or group, after

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to formally hand a prize, sum of money, or contract to a person or group, after judges, a court, or another body have decided that the recipient deserves it.

Example

The judges awarded Mei first prize for her paper-cut artwork.

ditransitive: award + person + prize

The city council awarded the bridge contract to a local engineering firm.

award + something + to + recipient

Common collocations
  • award a prize
  • award damages
  • award a contract
  • award a scholarship
  • be awarded a medal
Synonyms
  • grant

    similar in legal or funding contexts; emphasises permission or allocation

  • confer

    formal; used for honours, titles, or degrees rather than money

  • bestow

    literary or formal; stresses the giver's generosity

  • present

    neutral; the act of handing over publicly, without the deserved-merit nuance

Antonyms
  • withhold

    to refuse to give what someone has earned or expected

  • deny

    specifically refusing a claim, application, or request

Grammar Patterns

award + indirect object + direct object

award + something + to + somebody

Usage Note

Subject is usually an institution, judge, panel, or court — not a private individual giving a casual gift. Frequently passive when the focus is on the recipient.

Common Mistakes

My mum awarded me a chocolate bar for cleaning my room.
My mum gave me a chocolate bar for cleaning my room.
'award' implies an official or formal decision, not a casual reward at home.
She was awarded with the championship trophy.
She was awarded the championship trophy.
no preposition 'with' after 'award'; the prize goes straight after the verb.

award — noun

Word family

  • awardee
    nounC1
  • award-winning
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words refer to public recognition for achievement, but each has its own flavour. An 'award' is the broadest term and usually implies a judging panel or official body that decided the recipient deserves it. A 'prize' carries a stronger sense of competition — you win a prize after beating others in a contest, race, or lottery. An 'honour' is more abstract and often a title or status, such as being knighted. A 'trophy' is the physical object — the cup, statue, or plaque — handed over at the ceremony. An 'accolade' is the most formal of the group and stresses the spoken praise more than any object. Compare: 'She won the lottery prize' (competition), 'She received the Nobel Prize for Literature' (the famous award works here too), and 'The film earned critical accolades' (praise from reviewers).

award ↗prize ↗honourtrophy ↗accolade

Common collocations

Nouns

  • award ceremony
  • award winner
  • award nominee
  • achievement award
  • service award

Adverbs

Phrases

  • win an award
  • receive an award
  • accept an award
  • present an award
  • nominated for an award

Prepositions

  • award for
  • award to
  • award of

Etymology

Old FrenchAnglo-Norman FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

The word arrived in late Middle English from Anglo-Norman French 'awarder' (a regional spelling of Old French 'esguarder', meaning to look at carefully or to consider). The deeper roots are the prefix 'es-' (out, fully) and the Germanic-origin 'warder' (to watch over). The original idea was therefore an examination or a careful watching, which led naturally to the modern sense of a decision reached after weighing facts — and from there to the prize given as a result of that decision.