What does awarded mean?
Awarded is the past tense and past participle of the verb award, which means to formally grant or assign something — usually a prize, honour, contract, sum of money, or legal decision — to a particular person or group after some form of judgement or selection. The word carries a distinctly official tone: we say a court awarded damages, a university awarded a degree, or a jury awarded a medal, but we rarely use it for informal giving. It generally involves three elements — an authority making the decision, the thing being granted, and the recipient who receives it. Because it implies deliberation and legitimacy, being awarded something suggests genuine merit or a binding outcome rather than a simple gift. Derived from Old French through Anglo-Norman legal usage, the word has long been tied to courts and arbitration, and it remains a staple of formal English in journalism, law, academia, and sport wherever official recognition is conferred.
verb (past tense and past participle of 'award')Awarded is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'award', meaning to give or grant something officially, especially as a prize, decision, or settlement following judgment.
- To have granted or given something officially as a prize, decision, judgment, or settlement.
"The committee awarded her first prize for her outstanding essay."
"The court awarded the family compensation for their losses."
"She was awarded a scholarship to study medicine at university."
The word 'award' traces back to an old French verb meaning essentially 'to watch over' — so when judges 'award' a prize, they're literally handing down the verdict of someone who has been keeping careful watch on the merits.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of awarded
The verb 'award' entered Middle English in the late medieval period from Anglo-Norman French, ultimately deriving from the Old North French 'awarder', built on a Germanic root related to watching, guarding, or taking heed — the same root that gives us 'warden' and 'guard'. Its earliest uses were closely bound up with law and arbitration, describing what a judge or arbitrator decreed. This legal pedigree survives today whenever damages are awarded in court, while the sense broadened over time to cover prizes, honours, and contracts.
Related word forms
How awarded is actually used
'Awarded' appears almost exclusively in formal or official contexts — courts, committees, competitions, institutions — rather than casual conversation. It typically takes both a recipient and a thing granted ('the prize was awarded to him'). In passive constructions it often signals recognition of merit or a binding legal decision.
Easily confused with awarded
'Awarded' means something was officially granted by a decision or authority, while 'rewarded' means something was given in return for service, effort, or good behaviour.