- Today's Word
Laudatory
LAW-duh-tor-ee
Definition
(adjective)Expressing praise and commendation; complimentary and approving.
Example
The retiring professor received laudatory speeches from colleagues who celebrated her decades of groundbreaking research.
Word Origin
Mid-16th century: from Late Latin “laudatorius,” from Latin “laudare” meaning “to praise,” from “laus” meaning “praise.”
Fun Fact
Laudatory connects to “applaud” through shared roots in praise, though we clap while laudatory remarks use words. Ancient Romans held “laudatio funebris”—funeral orations praising the deceased’s virtues, a tradition surviving in modern eulogies. Academic culture has “laudatio” ceremonies where scholars publicly praise doctoral candidates. Critics sometimes dismiss overly laudatory reviews as lacking objectivity, coining “hagiography” for biography so laudatory it treats subjects like saints. The Latin “laus” also gives us “laureate,” originally referring to those crowned with laurel wreaths for achievement. While praise can feel hollow, effective laudatory remarks balance genuine appreciation with specific examples, making commendation meaningful rather than empty flattery.