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
"People knew that the Query Club existed but when they would ask them 'what does the badge mean?' they would say 'oh, that's the question'," Morgan said.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
Former police officer Bridie Anderson, who now supports victims of police-perpetrated abuse, says officers can use the trust and authority that comes with their badge to exert power over victims.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 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
This must be what I’m meant to wear because there’s even a bright yellow raincoat with my moonstone badge attached to the front.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
After his plight was raised on social media by his daughter, Ward said several people had been in touch to say they faced similar issues getting blue badges renewed.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
After next week, her workers on that project can seek an approval extension for their badges that would last until March.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
The reporter said she and a photographer from the news outlet both had their badges taken away from them.
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
Now the new Twelves in the row ahead had all received their badges.
From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
"We've managed to do a negotiation with our supplier which means that there's no additional cost to parents to have a badged item," she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
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
Banded somehow he must be, then badged, beribboned, bannered, and bye-lawed.
From Marm Lisa by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin
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
"The blue ticks on these accounts tell us one thing we already knew: X's pay-for-play badging is just a revenue generator and not a serious verification effort."
From BBC ● Nov. 24, 2025
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.
