award
noun
Award — a formal grant of compensation or recognition determined by authority
Definition
A grant made by a law court; "he criticized the awarding of compensation by the court"
In depth
An award is a grant made by a law court, typically compensation determined through formal legal proceedings, though the word more broadly describes any formal recognition or prize bestowed by an authority judging merit, achievement, or entitlement. The word carries weight in both legal contexts, where it names a binding monetary judgment, and ceremonial contexts, where it names a prize given for excellence.
Origin
The word descends from Anglo-Norman awarder, to decide or adjudge, related to Old French esguarder, to look at or consider carefully. That underlying sense of careful, deliberate judgment remains the word's essential logic, an award conceived as the formal result of considered evaluation, whether by a court weighing evidence or a committee judging artistic merit.
Usage examples
"He criticized the awarding of compensation by the court as wholly inadequate given the severity of the damages suffered."
"Her novel received the award after years of being overlooked by the same prestigious committee."
"The arbitration panel's award settled the lengthy commercial dispute once and for all."
How to use it
Award spans both formal legal judgment, particularly common in arbitration and litigation writing, and the far more common everyday sense of a prize or recognition for achievement, with context easily distinguishing the two registers.
Related concepts
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