badge
Americannoun
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badges
plural
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a special or distinctive mark, token, or device worn as a sign of allegiance, membership, authority, achievement, etc..
a police badge;
a merit badge.
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any emblem, token, or distinctive mark.
He thinks rich people buy art mainly as a badge of their sophistication and success.
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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.
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Digital Technology. digital badge.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a distinguishing emblem or mark worn to signify membership, employment, achievement, etc
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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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing badge
"Glencoe Accounting: Real-World Applications & Connections," Vocabulary from Chapter 12
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English Language Development Texts, Unit 2
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Girl Scouts Lingo
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Military fatigues are worn like a badge of honor in Jerusalem’s historic center, where young recruits sling automatic weapons over their shoulders.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
President Isaac Herzog said the election was a "badge of honour" for Israeli society.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
Klara’s fellow B1s may consider her peculiar but in a Waititi movie, being a quirky oddball is actually a badge of honor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
In exchange, they would also have to badge in and out of their air-traffic facilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
It had originally been purchased by a fellow of Christ’s College, Cambridge—its binding bears the college badge.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
She said that after her employees’ federal badges expired last month, they were eventually reinstated until Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
As the verdict was read out, there was silence from family members and supporters in court who wore yellow t-shirts and badges, the colour of their campaign, AFP reported.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Major media outlets declined to follow the new policy and forfeited their press badges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
A self-described “workaholic,” Cook famously wakes up at 4 a.m. to read customer and employee emails, then hits the gym and badges into Apple Park when he’s not traveling for diplomatic meetings or supply-chain audits.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
They worked on efficiency badges in sports, Nazi ideology, nursing, household training, social work, and later, air-raid training.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Marketers will also be watching for whether LLMs will preclude paid-for social media endorsements that are badged with #ad or similar disclosures in their results.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
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
During the pandemic, some badged employees were able to work from home, or relocated to other airports.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 9, 2021
"Today, it would be badged and branded by a celebrity chef, which just wouldn't be the same."
From BBC ● May 23, 2021
I don't suppose our "shag"-fumes seem as sweet to them as to us others; But—well, they do not treat us here as badged machines, but human brothers.
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 105, July 8th 1893 by Various
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
A badging factory which was creating fake designer logos to fix on unbranded clothing has been raided by police.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2023
Lincoln’s badging, which appears similar to the automaker’s Star concept announced earlier this year, appears as an illuminated display on the front of the vehicle.
From The Verge ● Aug. 22, 2022
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
