Standard Lemma guide

encomium

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ɛŋˈkəʊ.mɪ.əm/
  • General-American: /ɛnˈkoʊ.mɪ.əm/
  • General-American: /ɪnˈkoʊ.mɪ.əm/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: EH0 N K AO1 M IH2 AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Warm praise, especially a formal expression of such praise; a tribute.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A general category of oratory.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rhetoric

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A method within rhetorical pedagogy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rhetoric

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The eighth exercise in the progymnasmata series.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A genre of literature that included five elements: prologue, birth and upbringing, acts of the person's life, comparisons used to praise the subject, and an epilogue.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: literature, media, publishing

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

a formal expression of praise

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: eulogy, panegyric, paean, pean

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: praise, congratulations, kudos, extolment

History

Etymology

From Latin encōmium (“praise, eulogy”), from Ancient Greek ἐγκώμιον (enkṓmion, “laudatory ode, praise”), from ἐγκώμιος (enkṓmios, “of or pertaining to the victor”), from κῶμος (kômos, “festival, revel, ode”).

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: ثَنَاء (ṯanāʔ) — tribute
  • Bulgarian: възхвала (vǎzhvala) — tribute
  • Czech: chvalořečení — tribute
  • Czech: chvalozpěv — tribute
  • Finnish: kunnianosoitus — tribute
  • Finnish: ylistys — tribute
  • Greek: εγκώμιο (egkómio) — tribute
  • Ancient Greek: ἐγκώμιον (enkṓmion) — tribute
  • Icelandic: lofgerð — tribute
  • Icelandic: lofsöngur — tribute
  • Icelandic: hróður — tribute
  • Old Norse: hróðr — tribute
  • Portuguese: encômio — tribute
  • Portuguese: elogio — tribute
  • Russian: панеги́рик (panegírik) — tribute
  • Russian: восхвале́ние (vosxvalénije) — tribute
  • Spanish: encomio — tribute
  • Chinese Mandarin: 赞美 (zànměi) — category of oratory
  • Finnish: ylistyspuhe — category of oratory
  • Finnish: encomium — category of oratory
  • Greek: εγκώμιο (egkómio) — category of oratory
  • Ancient Greek: ἐγκώμιον (enkṓmion) — category of oratory
  • Russian: восхвале́ние (vosxvalénije) — category of oratory