commendation vs laurels

commendation and laurels both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
commendation	Yes	No	No	No
laurels	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, laurels is a hypernym of commendation; that is, laurels is a word with a broader meaning than commendation:

commendation: an official award (as for bravery or service) usually given as formal public statement
laurels: a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction

Other hypernyms of commendation include accolade, award, honor, honour.

commendation (noun)	laurels (noun)
an official award (as for bravery or service) usually given as formal public statement	a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
a message expressing a favorable opinion	the state of being honored