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
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
Onlookers witnessing the rescue broke out into applause, and the girl subsequently went into the arms of a woman nearby.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 29 Dec. 2025
Rewarded as Styles takes the stage wearing a shimmering golden two-piece, the crowd erupts in applause and cheers.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 27 Dec. 2025
There was a time when the measure of a great event was loud applause, how bright the lights flashed or how many selfies got posted from the floor.
—Elle Chan, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025
When early retatrutide data were presented at a medical conference in 2023, a scientist who was there told me, the usually staid audience burst into spontaneous applause.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for applause
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Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 29 Dec. 2025
Rewarded as Styles takes the stage wearing a shimmering golden two-piece, the crowd erupts in applause and cheers.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 27 Dec. 2025
There was a time when the measure of a great event was loud applause, how bright the lights flashed or how many selfies got posted from the floor.
—Elle Chan, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025
When early retatrutide data were presented at a medical conference in 2023, a scientist who was there told me, the usually staid audience burst into spontaneous applause.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for applause
Cite this Entry
“Applause.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/applause. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
applause
noun
ap·plause
ə-ˈplȯz 
: approval shown especially by clapping the hands
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