badge

American  

[baj] / bædʒ /

noun

• badges
  plural

1. a special or distinctive mark, token, or device worn as a sign of allegiance, membership, authority, achievement, etc..

   a police badge;

   a merit badge.

   Synonyms:

   earmark, hallmark, seal, shield, insignia

2. any emblem, token, or distinctive mark.

   He thinks rich people buy art mainly as a badge of their sophistication and success.

3. a card bearing identifying information, as one's name, symbol or place of employment, or academic affiliation, and often worn pinned to one's clothing.

4. Digital Technology. digital badge.

---

verb (used with object)

badged, badging

1. to furnish or mark with a badge.

badge British  

/ bædʒ /

noun

1. a distinguishing emblem or mark worn to signify membership, employment, achievement, etc

2. any revealing feature or mark

---

Usage

What does badge mean? A badge is a small object or card used to identify oneself in an official way. Most commonly, badge refers to the small metal medallion worn or carried by police officers or other law enforcement members. They’re often shaped like shields or stars. Badge also commonly refers to the official identification card of a worker, especially one that’s pinned to their clothing or worn on a lanyard or cord around their neck. Such badges are often used for security purposes—having a badge allows a worker to enter the building or access certain parts of it. Example: You pull another stunt like that and I’ll have you turn in your badge, Officer Hotshot!

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• badgeless
  adjective
• unbadged
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• badges
  plural

Etymology

Origin of badge

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English baggys (plural); akin to Anglo-French bage “badge, emblem”; further origin unknown

Explanation

Police officers wear a badge — a shiny piece of metal that lets you know they're cops. Badges can also be metaphors — for example, a scar could considered be a badge of honor. Police officers are the best-known badge-wearers, but lots of employees — especially federal employees — have to wear some kind of badge to work. The badge lets other people know who you are and what you do. Other kinds of badges are not so official. If a football player broke his leg during a big game, the cast could be called a "badge of honor," because of his playing and his toughness. All badges let others know who you are and why you're important.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

badge badges badged badging

That is not necessarily a bad thing; it is a badge and connection of our inner humanity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Here, to be chaotic and colorful is a badge of honor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

The streaming service says the AI Persona badge, that will start appearing on some profiles from mid-September, will flag to listeners if an "artist's identity may be AI-generated and does not represent a real person".

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

The platform announced a verification badge in April designed to highlight human artists.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

High school seniors now solely referred to me as "Little Sami," and I wore the nickname like a badge of honor.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Nontransferable passes—festival wristbands, corporate seats, badges issued in someone else’s name—are listed anyway.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

"Alongside artist profiles that self-disclose as AI Personas, we will also start applying badges to relevant profiles," the company said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

LinkedIn Learning is another destination for certifications and badges.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

In April, in the Target parking lot, Walker said three federal immigration agents, wearing badges, exited their vehicles and approached her car on foot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

At seven o’clock, the four members ascended to the clubroom, tied their badges round their heads, and took their seats with great solemnity.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Given the geopolitical terrain, North American buyers may see their first solid-state BEVs badged as Toyotas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026

While he said he would not want "badged" British Army soldiers there, he could support their presence as part of a UN peacekeeping force.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2025

As for the "verified" dead, a few users have pointed out that some were badged anew without the consent of their estates or loved ones.

From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2023

Perry Cooper, media relations manager at Sea-Tac, said the number of badged employees at the airport went from 25,000 before the pandemic to around 17,500 mid-pandemic.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 9, 2021

And now I saw Sir John in full uniform of his rank, badged with mourning, yet all a-glitter with medals and orders, slowly dismount, while gillie Bareshanks held his stirrup.

From Cardigan by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers

Employees are still coffee badging, the practice of swiping into the office and sticking around long enough to have a cup of coffee before heading out to finish the workday at home or elsewhere.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

PS: The Nightshade suffix refers to an exterior trim grade that bundles together the blacked-out grille, badging, 20-inch wheels, mirror caps, door handles, roof pillars and lower rear bumper.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025

For the upcoming talks in Dubai, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which organizes COPs, has changed its badging process to be more transparent.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 8, 2023

A badging factory which was creating fake designer logos to fix on unbranded clothing has been raided by police.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2023

The practice of badging, otherwise than by mutual consent, is usually bad: it is always suspicious.

From How to Observe Morals and Manners by Harriet Martineau

Related Words

• identification
• insignia
• marker
• medallion
• pin
• ribbon
• stamp
• symbol
• token