Victoria Cross

American  

noun

1. a British decoration awarded to soldiers and sailors for acts of conspicuous bravery in the presence of the enemy. V.C.

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Victoria Cross British  

noun

1. the highest decoration for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarded to the British and Commonwealth armed forces: instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria

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Etymology

Origin of Victoria Cross

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Roberts-Smith won the Victoria Cross -- Australia's highest military honour -- for "conspicuous gallantry" in Afghanistan while on the hunt for a senior Taliban commander.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

After the war, Daniel Laidlaw struggled to deal with the fame and celebrity that came with his Victoria Cross.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

Corporal Sidney Bates posthumously received Britain's Victoria Cross for "supreme gallantry" after repeatedly charging a critical German position with a light machine gun before dying of his wounds.

From Reuters • Nov. 12, 2023

Roberts-Smith’s SAS colleagues are among those calling for him to become the first Australian Victoria Cross winner to be stripped of the highest award for gallantry in battle.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 11, 2023

But he succeeded, and lived to be the only civilian hero ever awarded the Victoria Cross.

From The Red Year A Story of the Indian Mutiny by Tracy, Louis