accord
Americanverb (used without object)
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accords,
present (3rd person singular)
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accorded,
past participle, past
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according
present participle
verb (used with object)
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accords,
present (3rd person singular)
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accorded,
past participle, past
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according
present participle
noun
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accords
plural
idioms
noun
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agreement; conformity; accordance (esp in the phrase in accord with )
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consent or concurrence of opinion
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unanimously
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pleasing relationship between sounds, colours, etc; harmony
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a settlement of differences, as between nations; compromise
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voluntarily
verb
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to be or cause to be in harmony or agreement
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(tr) to grant; bestow
Usage
What does accord mean? To accord is to agree or be in harmony with someone or something. Accord is usually used formally to mean to work together. It is often used in official decrees, analysis of public figures, and governmental affairs. Related to this, an accord is an agreement. In particular when nations agree to something, we often say they have reached an accord, as with the Paris Climate Accords. To accord can also mean to grant or bestow. Oftentimes an item that is accorded is something that will strengthen a relationship or agreement, as with according someone praise or forgiveness. Example: Failure to reach an accord will mean the battle will continue for years to come.
Synonym Usage
See correspond.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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accordernoun
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nonaccordnoun
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preaccordnoun
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accordableadjective
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unaccordableadjective
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unaccordedadjective
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well-accordedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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accordsimple
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accordssimple
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have accordedperfect
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has accordedperfect
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am accordingprogressive
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are accordingprogressive
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is accordingprogressive
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have been accordingperfect progressive
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has been accordingperfect progressive
Past
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accordedsimple
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had accordedperfect
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was accordingprogressive
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were accordingprogressive
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had been accordingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of accord
First recorded in 1100–50; Middle English a(c)corden, late Old English acordan, from Old French acorder, from Vulgar Latin accordāre (unrecorded), from Latin ac- ac- + cor (stem cord- ) “heart” ( see cordial); see also heart
Explanation
An accord is an agreement between groups or even nations, like a formal peace accord that prevents war or the accord between you and your sister specifying who gets to use the car on which days. Accord is an agreeable word. If you and your best friend are always in accord, you agree about everything. And if you do something of your own accord, you do it without prompting from someone else. As a verb, accord means to be in harmony or agreement, or to allow. Perhaps your enhanced vocabulary will accord you, or allow you, a better understanding of language.
Vocabulary lists containing accord
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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.
See Examples For:
Banks have said decisions to avoid certain industries or clients are in accord with anti-money-laundering laws or are in response to other regulatory pressures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
The procession last proceeded along Garvaghy Road in 1997 and was barred the following year, soon after a peace accord largely ended three decades of conflict over British rule.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Greece and Bulgaria reached an agreement on their return this week, with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev hailing the accord as "historic".
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
But not all experts are impressed with the accord.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Workers laid foundations of immense timbers in crisscrossed layers in accord with Root’s grillage principle, then used steam-powered derricks to raise the tall posts of iron and steel that formed each building’s frame.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
But the logic of the accords has grown stronger.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
These accords involve Arab or Muslim countries normalizing relations with Israel.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
Established as part of the 1995 peace deal that ended Bosnia's inter-ethnic war, the high representative oversees the civilian implementation of the accords and enjoys sweeping powers in the Balkan nation.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
The Israeli prime minister famously clashed with Bill Clinton over the implementation of the Oslo peace accords.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
Such a hypothesis accords as well with the animism found in ethnographic societies the world over.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
You’ll notice that the coyote isn’t even accorded a jury of his peers, merely two animated jurors out of 12, and one is a silly goose.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
In the 2000s, derivatives created from subprime mortgages were accorded top credit ratings; now, the so-called illiquidity premium on portfolios of loans to small and midsize private companies is considered their secret sauce.
From Barron's ● Mar. 27, 2026
From his election onwards, he turned down many privileges traditionally accorded to the Pope.
From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2025
Selecting a Thanksgiving day was a royal prerogative, he declared, accorded solely to him as the representative of the Catholic King James II. Andros named Dec. 1 as Thanksgiving Day for all New England.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025
She was still surprised by the enthusiastic reception she was accorded.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
Last month, about one out of five workers ages 25 to 34 worked from home at least some of the time, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
The plane stayed on the tarmac for at least 30 minutes after landing, and the injured flight attendants stayed onboard, according to KABC.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Other arrests this year included a Romanian woman and a Ukrainian man accused of spying on an individual supplying drones from Germany to Ukraine, according to the prosecutor's office.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Young’s attorneys also recently settled cases involving 92 people, including 16 children whose parents died at his facilities, according to Karen Gold, who represented the plaintiffs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
The Tuscarora rez was small, according to a lot of people.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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