(often /ˈkuːdoʊz/), from the Greek κῦδος
(not to be confused with κύδος
, (literally "that which is heard of") means "fame" and "renown" resulting from an act or achievement. Extending "kudos" to another individual is often done as a praising remark. It entered English as British university slang in the early 1800s.
In Standard British English, as in Greek, Kudos
is a singular and not a plural noun, and is used exclusively as such in Britain. However, in common use in the US the noun is often plural: She received many kudos ['ku:doʊz] for her work.
The term is often attributed to recognition in the workplace with many Employee Recognition Programs developed solely to recognize the achievement of individuals.
Usage expanded again as the term entered the vocabulary of the gaming community. For example, you can earn kudos for completing certain in-game tasks, such as those in the Metropolis Street Racer, the Project Gotham Racing series and as part of the 'Varrock Museum' mini-task in the MMORPG Runescape.