Applause

How to spell applause

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce applause

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does applause mean?

1. nounApproval or praise expressed by clapping the hands together, usually by an audience.

Applause in a sentence

• The pianist finished her solo to thunderous applause from the crowd.

• His closing remarks drew loud applause from the conference delegates.

Where does applause come from?

Language of origin: Latin

Applause comes from the Latin applausus, the noun formed from applaudere, which meant literally 'to clap toward' something or someone. That verb was built from the prefix ad-, meaning 'to' or 'toward' (which softened to ap- before the p), and plaudere, meaning 'to clap, strike, or beat the hands together'. The same plaudere root survives in several English relatives: 'plaudit', 'plausible' (originally 'deserving applause'), and even 'explode', which once meant to drive a bad performer off the stage by clapping and hissing. English took the word in during the 1500s, keeping the Latin double p that the prefix produced. That doubled p is exactly the spot writers slip on, since the ear hears only one p in speech.

How the word is built

• ap- (from ad-, to/toward)
• plaus (from Latin plaudere, to clap)
• -e