What does applauded mean?
Applauded is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'applaud', meaning that someone has shown approval or praise, most commonly by clapping the hands. Its most familiar use is literal: audiences have applauded performances, speeches, and victories for centuries, making it one of the most universal expressions of collective appreciation. The word also has an important figurative sense, in which people, decisions, or achievements are said to be applauded — meaning praised or welcomed — even without any actual clapping; newspapers, for example, routinely report that a policy was 'widely applauded'. Because clapping is a near-universal gesture of approval, the word carries warm, positive connotations across cultures and registers, appearing equally in casual conversation and formal writing. Derived from the Latin verb 'plaudere', meaning to clap or strike together, it shares an ancient root with related words such as 'applause', 'plaudit', and even 'explode', which originally referred to driving a performer off stage by clapping. Whether literal or figurative, to say something was applauded is to record a moment of public approval.
verbApplauded is the simple past tense and past participle of the verb 'applaud', meaning to have shown approval or praise by clapping the hands, or more broadly to have expressed enthusiastic approval of a person, performance, or action.
- To have shown approval by clapping the hands, especially after a performance or speech.
- To have expressed strong approval or praise of a person, decision, or action, whether literally or figuratively.
"The audience applauded warmly as the pianist took her final bow."
"The crowd applauded for several minutes when the curtain finally fell."
"Critics applauded the government's decision to expand funding for public libraries."
When Roman crowds approved of a performer, they didn't just clap — they 'exploded' with praise, because both words come from the same Latin verb 'plaudere', meaning to clap or strike together.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of applauded
Applauded derives from the Latin verb 'plaudere', meaning to clap, strike, or beat, which entered English via the verb 'applaud', formed from the Latin 'applaudere' (ad- + plaudere). The Latin root gave rise to a family of English words including 'applause', 'plaudit', and 'plausible', and even 'explode', which originally meant to drive a performer off the stage by noisy clapping. The verb 'applaud' has been part of English since at least the late Middle Ages, and its past form 'applauded' follows standard English inflection.
Related word forms
How applauded is actually used
As a past-tense form, 'applauded' carries an inherently positive connotation of approval or admiration. It is used both literally (clapping at a performance) and figuratively (praising a policy or achievement in editorials and speeches). The figurative sense is common in journalism, where individuals or organizations are frequently described as being 'applauded for' their actions.
Easily confused with applauded
'Applause' is the noun referring to the act or sound of clapping itself, while 'applauded' is the verb form describing someone having performed that act.