Medal Meaning
/ˈmɛdəl/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA stamped metal disc used as a personal ornament, a charm, or a religious object.
nounA stamped or cast metal object (usually a disc), particularly one awarded as a prize or reward.
Sentence Examples
The committee bestowed a medal on him.
Roy fastened the medal with a pin.
The young swimmer won a gold medal at the national championship.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The brave soldier received a ____ for his heroic actions in battle.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The brave soldier was awarded a ____ of honor for his extraordinary courage on the field of battle.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"I dashed into the mall; bought a gift; raced to the card store, snapped up a two-fer gift-bag special and was back in my car in 26 minutes. I could medal in power shopping."
— 2004 October 29, Carol McAlice Currie, “Unposted laws make downtown seem unwelcoming”, in Statesman Journal, volume 152, number 214, Salem, OR, page 1C:
"Vocab-wise, medalling and PB-ing are now totally part-and-parcelled, and most experts in South Korea believe podiumed, finalled and all-comered are not far off lexiconing."
— 2011 January 9, Harry Pearson, “London 2012 can legacy by verbing the noun”, in The Guardian:
"I wanted to medal. I was pregnant and I wanted to medal."
— 2013 January 13, “Je Ne Sais What?”, in The Good Wife, season 4, episode 12, spoken by Anna (Elizabeth Alderfer):
"In 2008, after being passed over yet again for USA Basketball’s Beijing Olympics team, San Antonio Stars all-star Becky Hammon signed a four-year, $2m contract with CSKA Moscow that included a six-figure bonus for becoming a naturalised citizen and medaling at the Games."
— 2022 September 3, Andrew Lawrence, “Brittney Griner’s Russian ordeal is a byproduct of WNBA’s shoestring funding”, in The Guardian:
"Rebecca Romero medaled in rowing and track cycling in 2004 and 2008, joining East German swimmer-turned-handball player Roswitha Krause and several swimmers/divers as two-sport medalists."
— 2024 July 30, Beau Dure, “What’s tougher than competing in an Olympic sport? Competing in two”, in The Guardian:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The brave soldier received a ____ for his heroic actions in battle.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The brave soldier was awarded a ____ of honor for his extraordinary courage on the field of battle.