tribute
Americannoun
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a gift, testimonial, compliment, or the like, given as due or in acknowledgment of gratitude or esteem.
- Synonyms:
- eulogy, commendation, recognition
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a stated sum or other valuable consideration paid by one sovereign or state to another in acknowledgment of subjugation or as the price of peace, security, protection, or the like.
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a rent, tax, or the like, as that paid by a subject to a sovereign.
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any exacted or enforced payment or contribution.
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obligation or liability to make such payment.
noun
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a gift or statement made in acknowledgment, gratitude, or admiration
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a payment by one ruler or state to another, usually as an acknowledgment of submission
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any tax levied for such a payment
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(in feudal society) homage or a payment rendered by a vassal to his lord
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the obligation to pay tribute
Etymology
Origin of tribute
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tribut, from Latin tribūtum “levied payment,” noun use of neuter past participle of tribuere “to assign, allot,” verb derivative of tribus tribe
Explanation
A tribute is a sign of respect or admiration, an award to honor a person's accomplishments. A famous director receives a lifetime achievement award as a tribute to his many successful films. We're most familiar with the use of the word tribute meaning to honor someone with words or an award. You can hear a tribute if you're lucky enough to attend an entertainment awards ceremony, or need to attend a funeral. Students will give a retiring teacher flowers as a tribute to her years of service in education. Tribute can also mean a kind of payment that's given from one nation to another.
Vocabulary lists containing tribute
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 20–25
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Tears of a Tiger
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Africa - Introductory
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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.
Last week, his brother paid emotional tribute to the men's parents, calling their deaths "almost too impossible to process."
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
Jim Lee, president and chief creative officer of DC Comics, paid tribute to Conway on social media.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
Others searched for the words to pay appropriate tribute to an accomplishment once considered impossible.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
“Gitter helped bring Zenga to the attention of American and worldwide audiences, even to elevate the appreciation of Zenga in Japan,” Yukio Lippit, a professor of art history at Harvard, wrote in a tribute.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
He was already signed up for tesserae, which entitled them to a meager supply of grain and oil in exchange for his entering his name extra times in the drawing to become a tribute.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
