授予 means 'to confer' or 'to award'—typically used when formally giving an honor, title, degree, right, or privilege to someone. It combines 授 (shòu), meaning 'to impart' or 'to hand over', and 予 (yǔ), meaning 'to give'. Together, they emphasize a deliberate, official act of bestowing something valuable or symbolic. This word is formal and often appears in contexts involving institutions, governments, universities, or ceremonies.

You’ll commonly see 授予 in news reports about awards, academic honors (e.g., honorary doctorates), military ranks, or legal rights. It’s rarely used in casual speech; instead, everyday situations use simpler verbs like 给 (gěi) or 颁发 (bānfā). The subject is usually an authoritative entity (e.g., a university, committee, or government body), and the object is typically something abstract and prestigious—like a medal, title, or authority—not physical items like food or money.