decoration
Americannoun
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something used for decorating; adornment; embellishment.
The gymnasium was adorned with posters and crepe-paper decorations for the dance.
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the act of decorating.
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a badge, medal, etc., conferred and worn as a mark of honor.
a decoration for bravery.
noun
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an addition that renders something more attractive or ornate; adornment
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the act, process, or art of decorating
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a medal, badge, etc, conferred as a mark of honour
Other Word Forms
- nondecoration noun
- overdecoration noun
- redecoration noun
- superdecoration noun
Etymology
Origin of decoration
First recorded in 1575–85; from Late Latin decorātiōn- (stem of decorātiō ) “an ornament”; decorate, -ion
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.
Trump then announced that Williams would receive the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026
They’re an everyday kitchen staple, a decoration drying outside homes, and a tool to ward off bad spirits and illness.
From Salon • Jan. 15, 2026
Down the steps stands an oversize candle—what otherwise would have been a cheerful decoration now an earnest memorial.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025
A study published in the Journal of World Prehistory suggests that some of the earliest known images of plants created by humans served a deeper purpose than decoration.
From Science Daily • Dec. 16, 2025
Another woman forwarded a stuffed hummingbird as decoration for the sickroom.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
