Encomium
n.kind, joyfulliterary
What it means
A speech or piece of writing that offers formal, enthusiastic praise.
Reach for it when naming an elevated public tribute to someone's work or character
The dean's encomium honored the librarian's scholarship and daily generosity.
Choose between these
6- everyday
when accessible, balanced praise of a life or work is intended
not when Appreciation is broader and usually less ceremonial.
- warm
when admiration and gratitude are expressed publicly
not when Tribute may be a gift or act and is not necessarily a sustained piece of praise.
- professional
commendation
when an official body recognizes a specific achievement
not when Commendation is briefer and more measured than an encomium.
- formal
eulogy
when praise commemorates someone who has died
not when Eulogy strongly suggests death, mislabeling a routine retirement address.
- literary
paean
when exuberant praise celebrates a person, ideal, or achievement
not when Paean can be poetic or musical and may feel extravagant.
- literary
when elaborate public praise is intentionally ornate
not when Panegyric often implies uncritical excess and is even rarer than encomium.
Said against
3- denunciation
- diatribe
- condemnation
It naturally appears in
3- deliver an encomium
The chair will deliver an encomium at the founder's retirement dinner.
- formal encomium
A formal encomium opened the academy's anniversary proceedings.
- glowing encomium
Her glowing encomium still included precise examples of the artist's influence.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English noun, noun sense a formal expression of high praise opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.