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
When the price jumped from 5.5 million to 6 million euros in one swoop, there were whistles and applause.
—John Leicester, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Gasps and applause filled the Paris auction house as the price soared past previous records.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 10 July 2025
An airport security policy that has been in place just short of 20 years is finally being dropped, much to the applause of airline travelers.
—Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Johnson was then lauded with the award statuette, to another round of raucous applause.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for applause
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
John Leicester, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Gasps and applause filled the Paris auction house as the price soared past previous records.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 10 July 2025
An airport security policy that has been in place just short of 20 years is finally being dropped, much to the applause of airline travelers.
—Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Johnson was then lauded with the award statuette, to another round of raucous applause.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 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 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
applause
noun
ap·plause
ə-ˈplȯz 
: approval shown especially by clapping the hands
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share