gold medal

American

noun

a medal, traditionally of gold or gold color, awarded to a person or team finishing first in a competition, meet, or tournament; championship medal.

gold medal British

noun

a medal of gold, awarded to the winner of a competition or race Compare silver medal bronze medal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

gold medalist noun

Etymology

Origin of gold medal

First recorded in 1905–10

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.

Staley, a Hall of Fame player and gold medal Olympian, is a transformative character.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Wilson competed at the 2024 Olympic Games as a 16-year-old running a leg in the qualifying for the 4x400 relay and earning a gold medal when the team won in the finals.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka, two of the stars of Team USA's gold medal winning women's ice hockey squad, were ready for their closeup on the Oscars red carpet.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

"Whatever I do, I'm here to be the best," said Jones, who won Team GB's first Olympic gold medal in taekwondo aged 19 in 2012.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

There is also to be a special service at one of the churches and some kind of a contest with a gold medal for the prize.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023