laudatory

UK/ˈlɔːdətɹi/

adjectiveC2Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speechToo rare in one of the two pools to compare — fewer than 20 uses in speech or in writing

Laudatory means expressing high praise. A laudatory review, a laudatory obituary, laudatory in tone.

It describes the writing rather than the subject, so a laudatory piece may be undeserved. Laudatory is not the same as laudable, which means deserving praise rather than giving it.

Definitions of laudatory

1adjectivelaudatoryExpressing high praise.C2
“The laudatory introduction was written by his own publisher.”

laudatory is a quality.

Where it comes from

Latin laudatorius, from laudare, to praise, from laus, praise.

Old French
laudatoire
Latin
laudatōrius
English, today
laudatory

Borrowed from Latin laudatōrius: compare Old French laudatoire.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

laudatory in the wild

In all sorts of texts, such as laudatory poems, chronicles, and travelogues, writers have interpreted the how and why of certain circumstances.
Javanese historical texts
Catullus 49 is a poem by the Roman poet Gaius Valerius Catullus sent to Marcus Tullius Cicero as a superficially laudatory poem.
Catullus 49
The earlier part of the Gesta speaks of the king in very laudatory terms, but in the latter part it is much less flattering in its tone.
Rigord
While Aodh Buidhe is given laudatory praise, Alasdar is portrayed as a 'fearsome warrior' who is nevertheless subordinate to his brother.
Le dís cuirthear clú Laighean
Upon their return, they published a detailed and laudatory report.
Frédéric-Auguste Demetz

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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