Medal of Honor

American  

noun

1. the highest U.S. military decoration, awarded by Congress to a member of the armed forces for gallantry and bravery in combat, at the risk of life and above and beyond the call of duty.

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Medal of Honor British  

noun

1. the highest US military decoration, awarded by Congress for conspicuous bravery in action: instituted in 1861 (Navy), 1862 (Army)

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Medal of Honor Cultural  

1. The highest military decoration in the United States armed services, often called the Congressional Medal of Honor. It recognizes valor and bravery in action “above and beyond the call of duty.” There have been some 3,400 recipients of the medal, which was established by an act of Congress in 1862.

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Example Sentences

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Medal of Honor

The US president also presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the crew of NASA's Artemis 2 mission, which flew past the moon in April.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

Military personnel salute those who outrank them, but all military personnel, regardless of rank, salute Medal of Honor recipients.

From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026

Eastern time, the president is scheduled to hold a Medal of Honor ceremony at 11 a.m., followed by “signing time” at 1:30, p.m. and policy meetings at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 2, 2026

Trump also announced that the Medal of Honor would be awarded to Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, an Army helicopter pilot who was gravely wounded in the 2026 raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026

Franklin D. Roosevelt was hanging the Congressional Medal of Honor around my neck, saying, “Without regard for her personal safety, she entered the very stronghold of the foe.”

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson