encomium means warm praise, especially a formal expression of such praise; a tribute. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 75 out of 100.
encomium is pronounced /ɛŋˈkəʊ.mɪ.əm/.
Why “encomium” is a great word
ENCOMIUM — [Noun] A formal expression of high praise, often delivered as a eulogy or structured tribute. From Latin encōmium ("praise, eulogy"), from Ancient Greek ἐγκώμιον (enkṓmion, "laudatory ode, praise"), from ἐγκώμιος (enkṓmios, "of or pertaining to a victor"), from κῶμος (kômos, "festival, revel"). Unlike a panegyric, which is a public oration of elaborate, often uncritical acclaim, or a compliment, which is a brief, casual nicety, an encomium is a sustained, crafted tribute rooted in the classical tradition of celebratory odes. It is the polished marble bust commissioned for the retiring statesman, the weighty anthology published for a revered poet, or the perfectly calibrated anecdote shared at a funeral—structured efforts to hold something admirable still, against the quiet erosion of memory.
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”).
noun
- Warm praise, especially a formal expression of such praise; a tribute.“I rejoined our people, and expected a reprimand for having forced the enemy without orders; though I had my excuse ready. But here I was mistaken; for I met with nothing but encomiums.”
- A general category of oratory.
- A method within rhetorical pedagogy.
- The eighth exercise in the progymnasmata series.
- 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.