accord

/əˈkɔːd/ (bre, ipa) · [əkˈɔrd] /əˈkɔːrd/ (ame, ipa) · [əkˈɔrd] /ə-ˈkȯrd/ (ame, mw)

accord — verb

  • accordpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • accords3rd person singular
  • according-ing form
  • accordedpast simple

1. to formally give someone the respect, recognition, status, or rights that they d

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to formally give someone the respect, recognition, status, or rights that they deserve; to treat someone with special consideration because of their position or achievements

例句

The Nobel committee accorded Sirin the prize for her groundbreaking work in chemistry.

accord + someone + something (double object)

Paloma was accorded the title of Professor Emeritus after forty years of teaching.

passive: be accorded something

同義詞
  • grant

    similar formality but wider range of objects; 'grant a request' vs 'accord respect'

  • confer

    slightly more ceremonial, typically used for degrees, titles, or honours

  • give

    much more general and less formal; works in everyday contexts where 'accord' would sound stiff

反義詞
  • withhold

    deliberately refuse to give what might be expected or due

文法句型

accord someone something

accord something to someone

be accorded something

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive voice (be accorded something). This sense is formal and typical of written or official language. The double-object pattern (accord someone something) and the prepositional pattern (accord something to someone) are both common.

常見錯誤

The teacher accorded his students.
The teacher accorded his students special privileges.
💡'accord' needs a direct object (what is given), not just an indirect object (who receives it).
The company accorded me a job.
The company offered me a job.
💡'accord' is too formal for everyday situations like job offers; use 'offer' for routine contexts.

2. to match or be consistent with something else, so that there is no contradiction

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to match or be consistent with something else, so that there is no contradiction or difference between two or more accounts, facts, or ideas

例句

Folake's description of the robbery did not accord with the security guard's statement.

negative: does not accord with

The company's new environmental policy accords with the government's latest regulations.

同義詞
  • agree

    less formal and far more common; 'agree with' covers the same meaning but is suitable for everyday speech

  • match

    more concrete; used for physical objects or visible characteristics

  • correspond

    similar formality; emphasises a structured one-to-one relationship between two things

反義詞
  • contradict

    be in direct opposition to; the strongest form of not according

  • conflict

    be incompatible; often used for interests, dates, or schedules

文法句型

accord with something

accord well/perfectly with something

do/does not accord with something

用法筆記

Subject is typically an account, report, description, action, or belief. The object of 'with' is usually a fact, standard, principle, or another account. This sense is common in formal, analytical, and academic writing.

常見錯誤

His story accords to the evidence.
His story accords with the evidence.
💡'accord' in this sense takes 'with', not 'to'.
The results accord each other.
The results accord with each other.
💡'accord' is intransitive here; it needs 'with' followed by the thing it matches.

3. to take separate ideas, beliefs, accounts, or systems and actively resolve their

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

to take separate ideas, beliefs, accounts, or systems and actively resolve their specific differences, making them compatible with each other

例句

The judge tried to accord the witness statements with the physical evidence.

accord + object + with + object

Dahlia struggled to accord her night-shift nursing job with raising twin boys as a single mother.

同義詞
  • reconcile

    the more common word for this meaning; 'reconcile two accounts' is widely used

  • harmonise

    British spelling; suggests making different elements work smoothly together

  • integrate

    focuses on combining into a unified whole rather than just resolving differences

文法句型

accord + something + with + something

用法筆記

Use this sense when someone intentionally works to make things agree (e.g. reconciling accounts, harmonising rules). Use sense 2 (BE IN HARMONY) to describe an existing state of consistency between two things. If you can replace 'accord' with 'reconcile' or 'harmonise', this is the right sense.

常見錯誤

She accorded her watch with the clock.
She set her watch to match the clock.
💡'accord' is not used for physical synchronization like matching watches or settings.

4. to come to a shared agreement on a specific matter after discussion, negotiation

4.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to come to a shared agreement on a specific matter after discussion, negotiation, or debate, particularly when the parties involved had previously held different views

例句

On oil drilling rights in the disputed waters, the two countries finally accorded after months of tense talks.

accord + on + topic

Without the chairperson's steady guidance, the committee would never have accorded on the spending plan for the new school building.

同義詞
  • agree

    the everyday replacement for this sense; 'agree on a plan' is natural in all contexts

  • settle

    implies resolving a dispute; 'settle on terms' is common in negotiation contexts

反義詞
  • disagree

    fail to reach agreement; the direct opposite

文法句型

accord on something

accord upon something

用法筆記

This sense is rare and largely overlaps with the noun phrase 'reach an accord'. In modern English, 'agree on' is far more common. This sense typically appears only in very formal or journalistic writing about negotiations.

常見錯誤

The partners accorded on the merger.
The partners agreed on the merger.
💡'agree on' is the standard modern verb; 'accord on' sounds dated.

5. to give formal consent to a request, proposal, or wish, thereby allowing it to g

5.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to give formal consent to a request, proposal, or wish, thereby allowing it to go ahead or be carried out

例句

After two thousand residents signed a petition, the town council accorded to their request for a safer school crosswalk.

accord + to + request

To the students' relief, the university dean accorded to their proposal to extend the library's weekend opening hours.

同義詞
  • accede

    the more common formal verb for this meaning; 'accede to a request' is standard in formal English

  • consent

    also formal but more widely used; 'consent to a proposal' is natural in legal and official contexts

  • agree

    the simple everyday alternative; 'agree to a plan' works in all registers

反義詞
  • refuse

    straightforward opposite; 'refuse a request'

  • deny

    slightly more formal; 'deny permission'

文法句型

accord to something

accord to a request

用法筆記

Extremely rare in modern English. The verb phrase 'accede to' (spelled differently) is more common for this meaning. 'Accord to' in the sense of 'give consent' is largely confined to British formal or legal writing from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

常見錯誤

The manager accorded to my leave request.
The manager approved my leave request.
💡'accord to' sounds archaic; use 'approve' or 'grant' instead.
The government accorded to the treaty.
The government agreed to the treaty.
💡'accede to' (not 'accord to') is the correct formal verb for agreeing to treaties.

accord — noun