plaudit

/ˈplɔdɪt/

Other forms: plaudits

As its sound might suggest, plaudit is indeed related to "applaud" and "applause." In fact it's really just a fancy way of saying "praise" or "acclamation."

Plaudit is used more in a literary sense than in spoken English, and particularly applies to the reception of a work of art, most notably a play. In fact, the word comes from the Latin plaudite, loudly uttered by Roman actors at the end of a play and meaning "applaud!" Kind of like cue cards for game show audiences now.

Definitions of plaudit

1. noun

   enthusiastic approval
   “he acknowledged the plaudits of the crowd”

   synonyms: acclaim, acclamation, eclat, plaudits

   type of:

   approval, commendation

   a message expressing a favorable opinion