Academy Award

American

Trademark.

an annual award given to a performer, director, technician, etc., of the motion-picture industry for superior achievement in a specific category: judged by the voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and symbolized by the presentation of an Oscar.

Academy Award British

noun

the official name for an Oscar

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Academy Award

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Delroy Lindo recently earned his first Academy Award nomination for his role in “Sinners” as Delta Slim, a blues musician who helps fight a vampire horde in a Mississippi juke joint.

From The Wall Street Journal

At 73, he now has the ultimate addition to his résumé: his first Academy Award nomination.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the midst of award season, the Writers Guild Awards are generally considered a predictor for which films might be Academy Award contenders.

From Los Angeles Times

This was McDonagh’s first nomination and win; two years later he’d go on to direct features, starting with “In Bruges,” ultimately earning six more Academy Award nominations.

From Los Angeles Times

It is a minor detail for Armella, a background actor in the crime series "High Potential" who is as excited to get the nod as a movie star receiving an Academy Award.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023