award
B1Formal to neutral. Common in official, legal, academic, and media contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To give something, especially a prize, payment, or official decision, to someone as a result of an official decision.
Can refer to the prize or benefit itself, or a grant of money or rights (e.g., a legal settlement).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Focuses on the act of official bestowal or the thing bestowed. As a verb, it is transitive and often involves a committee/judge as the giver and a recipient. The noun can be concrete (trophy) or abstract (recognition).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Legal contexts may favour 'award' for damages in both, but 'settlement' is also common in AmE. In education, 'grant' is often used interchangeably with 'award' for funding in AmE.
Connotations
Both carry a formal, official connotation. In corporate contexts, 'bonus' is less formal than 'performance award'.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in British English legal/employment contexts (e.g., 'compensation award').
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Institution] awarded [Prize] to [Recipient].[Institution] awarded [Recipient] [Prize].[Prize] was awarded to [Recipient] for [Achievement].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No award for guessing... (sarcastic: it's obvious)”
- “Award-winning (adj. denoting high quality)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The board will award the tender to the most cost-effective bidder.
Academic
She was awarded a doctorate for her groundbreaking thesis.
Everyday
Did you see who won the 'Best Film' award?
Technical
The tribunal awarded substantial damages for breach of contract.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- The Booker Prize is a major literary award.
- He received a bravery award from the council.
American English
- She won an award for community service.
- The arbitration resulted in a large financial award.
verb
British English
- The committee decided to award the grant to a local charity.
- The judge awarded costs to the claimant.
American English
- The university will award over 500 degrees this spring.
- The jury awarded the plaintiff $2 million in damages.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My teacher got an award.
- They gave him an award.
- The film won three awards last year.
- The school awards a scholarship to the top student.
- After a lengthy dispute, the court awarded them full custody of the children.
- Her award-winning design will be put into production.
- The panel's decision to award the contract to a foreign firm was highly controversial.
- He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a WARDrobe full of trophies you've been AWARDed.
Conceptual Metaphor
JUSTICE IS A SCALE (awarding damages); RECOGNITION IS A PHYSICAL OBJECT (receiving an award).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'award' for a simple 'prize' in casual games (use 'prize'). 'Award' implies a formal decision. Do not confuse with 'reward' (вознаграждение) which is for effort/service, not necessarily a formal judgment.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'They awarded him.' (Missing direct object). Correct: 'They awarded him a medal.'
- Incorrect: 'He got an award of best student.' Correct: 'He got an award for being the best student.'
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'award' correctly as a noun?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
An 'award' is given based on a formal decision, often for an achievement (e.g., an Oscar). A 'reward' is given in return for effort, service, or help, and can be informal (e.g., a reward for finding a lost dog).
No, 'award' as a verb is transitive. It requires both a recipient (indirect object) and the thing given (direct object), or a passive construction where the thing given is the subject.
It is neutral to formal. It is perfectly standard in everyday talk about prizes, but its core use involves an official decision, which lends it formality compared to 'give' or 'prize'.
It means for a court or tribunal to officially order that one party must pay a sum of money (damages) to another party as compensation for loss or injury.