What does "oscar" mean?
An Academy Award.
Oscar
/ˈɑs.kɚ/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An Academy Award.
- Grammar: oscar is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: academy award, aquarium fish, award, cichlid.
- Useful contrasts: land animal, no award, surname.
- Usage evidence: She's the girl whose performance won an Oscar.
How to use "oscar"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "oscar" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "oscar" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "oscar" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "oscar" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "oscar" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "academy award" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "oscar", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An Academy Award. informal
"Primarily seen as a publicity vehicle for late-year releases, the awards show and its promoters have lately made pretensions to Oscar oracling: Jamie Foxx won the “breakthrough actor of the year” prize for “Ray” in 2004, after all, and Paul Haggis and his ensemble cast were honored for “Crash” four months before it won best picture."
- 2 cash; money. Australia, New-Zealand, slang, uncountable
- 3 A cichlid fish of species Astronotus ocellatus, native to South America, sometimes kept in aquariums.
- 4 Alternative letter-case form of Oscar from the NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet. alt-of
- 5 an annual award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in motion picture production and performance wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A statuette awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Proper Noun
- 1 A male given name from Irish or Old English.
"My son, though alone, is brave. Oscar is like a beam of the sky: he turns around, and the people fall."
- 2 Initialism of Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 3 A surname from Irish [in turn originating as a patronymic], a rare anglicization of Mac Oscair (literally “son of Oscar”) (McCusker).
- 4 A locale in the United States.; An unincorporated community in Kentucky; named for Kentucky Representative Oscar Turner.
- 5 A locale in the United States.; An unincorporated community in Louisiana.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A locale in the United States.; An unincorporated community in Missouri; named for early settler Oscar Bradford.
- 7 A locale in the United States.; An unincorporated community in Oklahoma; named for local rancher Oscar W. Seay.
- 8 A locale in the United States.; An unincorporated community in Pennsylvania.
- 9 A locale in the United States.; An unincorporated community in West Virginia.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"She's the girl whose performance won an Oscar."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "oscar"?
Common synonyms include: academy award, aquarium fish, award, cichlid, film award, first prize.
How do you use "oscar" in a sentence?
She's the girl whose performance won an Oscar.
How do you pronounce "oscar"?
Pronounced /ˈɑs.kɚ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Exact origin uncertain. Resuscitated by James Mcpherson in The Works of Ossian (1765). Napoleon, an admirer of the Ossianic poems, chose it for his godson Oscar Bernadotte, who became a king of Sweden. The modern given name is a conflation of two unrelated names: first, Middle Irish Oscar (the name of Fionn Mac Cumhaill's grandson in Irish mythology), from Middle Irish os (“deer”) + cara (“friend”); and second, Old English Ōscār, Ōsgār (personal name, literally “spear of the gods/spear of God”), from Old English ōs (“god”) and gār (“spear”) (see Oswald). Compare German Ansgar (personal name), Danish Asker, Asger (personal name), Norwegian Asgeir (personal name), Icelandic Ásgeir (personal name). (Academy Award): Disputed. Said to have been named by actress Bette Davis after her first husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson, or by secretary Margaret Herrick after her cousin Oscar Pierce.
Etymology 2
Shortened form of Oscar Asche.