badge
Americannoun
-
a special or distinctive mark, token, or device worn as a sign of allegiance, membership, authority, achievement, etc..
a police badge;
a merit badge.
-
any emblem, token, or distinctive mark.
He thinks rich people buy art mainly as a badge of their sophistication and success.
-
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.
-
Digital Technology. digital badge.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a distinguishing emblem or mark worn to signify membership, employment, achievement, etc
-
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
- badgeless adjective
- unbadged adjective
Etymology
Origin of badge
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English baggys (plural); akin to Anglo-French bage “badge, emblem”; further origin unknown
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.
I started to do all the badges possible.
From BBC
In 2023, the company implemented a “frequently returned item” badge for items that people are more likely to send back.
Though Norman didn’t choose the term “neo-conservative,” it became a badge of honor.
“It was a disservice. It lacked integrity. It tarnished the badge. It was wrong,” Moore said of Palka.
From Los Angeles Times
What began as a luxury good and a badge of wealth in the world’s richest country turned into a speculative investment boom that sucked in even retail investors.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
