What does medal mean?
Definitions for medal
ˈmɛd lmedal
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word medal.
Princeton's WordNet
decoration, laurel wreath, medal, medallion, palm, ribbonnoun
an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event
Wiktionary
medalnoun
A stamped metal disc used as a personal ornament, a charm, or a religious object.
medalnoun
A stamped or cast metal object (usually a disc), particularly one awarded as a prize or reward.
medalverb
To win a medal
"He medalled twice at the Olympics"
Etymology: From medaille, medale, from medaglia, from medalia.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Medalnoun
Etymology: medaille, Fr. probably from metallum, Lat.
The Roman medals were their current money: when an action deserved to be recorded on a coin, it was stampt, and issued out of the mint. Joseph Addison, Guard. №. 96.
ChatGPT
medal
A medal is a flat piece of metal, usually circular in shape and often stamped or engraved with a design or symbol, that is awarded to a person as a recognition or reward for their achievement or service in a particular field such as academics, sports, military, and so on.
Webster Dictionary
Medalnoun
a piece of metal in the form of a coin, struck with a device, and intended to preserve the remembrance of a notable event or an illustrious person, or to serve as a reward
Medalverb
to honor or reward with a medal
Etymology: [F. mdaille, It. medaglia, fr. L. metallum metal, through (assumed) LL. metalleus made of metal. See Metal, and cf. Mail a piece of money.]
Wikidata
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is, strictly speaking, a small, flat, and round piece of metal that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way marked with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for sporting, military, scientific, academic, or various other achievements. Military awards and decorations are more precise terms for certain types of state decoration. Medals may also be created for sale to commemorate particular individuals or events, or as works of artistic expression in their own right. In the past, medals commissioned for an individual, typically with his portrait, were often used as a form of diplomatic or personal gift, with no sense of being an award for the conduct of the recipient. An artist who creates medals or medallions is called a "medallist" or "medalist". There are also devotional medals which may be worn for religious reasons. Medals have long been popular collectible items either as a variety of exonumia or of militaria. Medals may also be produced in a rectangular shape, though these would more correctly be described as a plaquette, and official awards such as military decorations are often in shapes such as crosses or stars, but are still loosely called "medals", as in the star-shaped American Medal of Honor.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Medal
med′al, n. a piece of metal in the form of a coin bearing some device or inscription, struck or cast: a reward of merit.—v.t. to decorate with a medal.—n. Med′alet, a small medal, esp. the representation of saints, worn by Roman Catholics.—adj. Medall′ic, pertaining to medals.—ns. Medall′ion, a large medal: a bas-relief of a round (sometimes a square) form: a round ornament enclosing a portrait or lock of hair; Med′allist, Med′alist, one skilled in medals: an engraver of medals: one who has gained a medal; Med′allurgy, the art of producing medals and coins. [O. Fr. medaille—It. medaglia; through a Low L. form medalla or medalia, a small coin, from L. metallum, a metal.]
Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
medal
Is a piece of metal in the form of a coin, struck to commemorate some remarkable event, or in honor of some distinguished person, but having no place in the currency. Medals belong to two periods, ancient and modern, separated by a wide interval. To the former belong those pieces issued in ancient Rome, known as medallions, and made of gold, silver, or copper. They are generally supposed to have been struck on occasions similar to those on which medals are coined in modern times, on the accession of an emperor, on the achievement of an important victory, or as specimens of workmanship. Modern medals date from the 14th century, but few were struck prior to the 15th. In more recent times, it has become customary to confer medals as marks of distinction for eminent worth or noble conduct, but more particularly for naval or military services. Such medals of honor are seldom of great intrinsic value, their worth depending on the associations connected with them. During the Revolutionary war Congress conferred these marks of honor on several military and naval heroes, who distinguished themselves by their valor or achievements during that eventful period. In the U. S. service, at present, bronze medals of honor are conferred on enlisted men in the army, navy, and marine corps for gallantry in action, or extraordinary heroism in the line of their duties. In the English military service, similar medals are granted. They are generally of silver, and have ribbons attached, with clasps or small bars, each of which bears the name of a particular engagement. Good-service medals of silver are also distributed among meritorious soldiers, sailors, and marines.
Surnames Frequency by Census Records
MEDAL
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Medal is ranked #41799 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
The Medal surname appeared 520 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Medal.
75.7% or 394 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
21.9% or 114 total occurrences were White.
1.3% or 7 total occurrences were Black.
British National Corpus
Nouns Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'medal' in Nouns Frequency: #2140
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Anagrams for medal »
lamed
demal
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of medal in Chaldean Numerology is: 8
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of medal in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8
Examples of medal in a Sentence
My understanding is that (German Finance Minister Wolfgang) Schaeuble said we must reduce risks in the banking systems and he would rather talk of that side of the medal, but there are two sides of the medal, there is the side of reducing risks and at the same time building a more risk sharing system. We have to take both approaches at the same time as far as I am concerned.
Our families couldn't be happier for Bristol and Dakota! We're honored to welcome Dakota into our family. He's an American hero and patriot whose service to our country -- like all his fellow Medal of Honor recipients -- has been above and beyond the call of duty; but even more important is he's a good and kind man who loves Bristol and Tripp, and is loved by them, yes, God working behind the scenes to turn beauty from ashes. Had tough circumstances in their lives not occurred, and had they reacted differently to those circumstances, they'd have never met.
I would like to voice my disappointment in the Backstrom case, we have an athlete who failed a test and is walking around with a silver medal around his neck, i think we fumbled the ball.
The true value of a medal always remains in the heart, a medal is only an object, but it can be of great value to others. This silver can save lives, instead of collecting dust in a closet. That is why I decided to auction it to help sick children.
I really risked everything in the second run because I wanted not just the medal, I wanted the gold medal, it’s difficult because you can lose everything but today it paid off.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for medal
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- medaljeAfrikaans
- ميداليةArabic
- миҙалBashkir
- медальBelarusian
- медалBulgarian
- medalennBreton
- medaileCzech
- medaljeDanish
- MedailleGerman
- medaloEsperanto
- medallaSpanish
- مدالPersian
- mitaliFinnish
- médailleFrench
- medáliaHungarian
- մեդալArmenian
- medagliaItalian
- 勲章, 賞牌, メダルJapanese
- მედალიGeorgian
- 메달Korean
- medalisLatin
- erepenning, medailleDutch
- medalPolish
- medalhaPortuguese
- medalieRomanian
- медальRussian
- медаља, medaljaSerbo-Croatian
- metleleSouthern Sotho
- medaljSwedish
- madalyaTurkish
- медальUkrainian
- huy chương, mề đayVietnamese
- 勋章Chinese
Get even more translations for medal »
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"medal." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 14 Jan. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/medal>.
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