Definitions
01an award
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Sports
n. a flat piece of metal, usually like a coin, given as a prize for winning a race or for doing something brave.
n. a small, flat piece of metal, typically circular, awarded as a mark of distinction for military bravery or sporting excellence.
日本語:メダル※
“The runner was proud to wear her gold medal after winning the marathon.”
“The veteran was presented with a silver medal for gallantry during the ceremony at the capital.”
Synonyms
02a religious or decorative object
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Religion
n. a metal disc worn for religious reasons or as a piece of jewellery.
n. a metal disc used as a personal ornament, a religious charm, or a commemorative object not necessarily tied to a competition.
“He wore a small St. Christopher medal on a chain around his neck for protection.”
“The antique shop displayed several nineteenth-century religious medals crafted from tarnished bronze and silver.”
03to give an award
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to officially give a medal to someone.
v. to decorate or honour a person by awarding them a medal. This transitive use is less common than the intransitive sporting sense.
“The general will medal the soldiers for their service during the parade.”
“The state chose to medal the returning explorers in recognition of their significant contributions to geographic science.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “medal” in context.
Verb
01. award a medal to the winner
“The committee decided to award a medal to the winner of the marathon.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
02. receive a medal for bravery
“The firefighter received a medal for bravery after saving the family from the burning building.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
03. win a gold medal
“She trained for years to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games.”
verb + adj + noun
Adjective
04. commemorative medal
“Each participant was given a commemorative medal to mark the anniversary of the event.”
adj + noun
05. prestigious medal
“The Nobel Prize is considered the most prestigious medal in the field of science.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. collection of medals
“The retired general displayed his impressive collection of medals in a glass case.”
noun + of + noun
07. medal ceremony
“The athletes stood proudly on the podium during the medal ceremony.”
noun + noun
Real-World Examples
“Jack Coscoran brought his 1500m campaign to an end with an impressive bronze medal.” “While Oosterwegel passed the Italian to win the race, O'Connor was within a second which was enough to claim a second gold medal in a matter of weeks.” “He said if his results did not go the way he hoped, his run of medals would help balance it out.” Etymology
From Middle English [Term?], from Middle French medaille, medale, from Italian medaglia (originally "half a denarius"), from Early Medieval Latin medālia, feminine derived via dissimilation (/dj–lj/ > /d–lj/) from mediālia, neuter plural of Late Latin mediālis (“middle”, adjective), from Classical Latin medius.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/medal
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR